In Another World with JUST MONIKA
by Charles Bhepin
Summary: aka Player and Monika's completely wrong genre-savvy adventures! OCSI. (current genre: Yandere Simulator)
1. A new world?

**In Another World with JUST MONIKA**  
aka Me and Monika's completely wrong genre-savvy adventures! OCSI.

* * *

I woke up with the sun warm on my face, the edge taken off by a light summer breeze. I opened my eyes to behold a bright blue sky and dappled clouds peacefully drifting by. I could hear birds chirping in the distance. Nothing was hurting. I was lying down on soft wild grass under the shade of stately old oak tree.

I blinked. I blinked again. Considering that up until a few seconds ago I was deep inside one of the world's most severe concrete jungles, this idyllic pastoral scene could only have one explanation -

Swiftly I got up and my first priority was to check my dingaling.

Yep. Still there.

I breathed a sigh of relief and took my precious smartphone out of my inside jacket pocket. It wasn't one of those sleek phablets, but a rugged brick of as much TF memory I could cram in there, as good a camera possible for its price, a powerful enough processor so as not to lag when switching between various apps and playing videos. Its titanium alloy protective case had its own supplementary battery and a solar panel at the back. It was not a phone meant to idle away the hours with resource-intensive games.

This was a proud productivity phone! It cost me more than a desktop computer to customize a phone that suited my needs. Even my jacket pockets had to be specially reinforced. The left contained my smartphone, the other an extra battery pack/charger with even more SD card storage. Walking around with these two slabs of metal close to my chest felt like armor.

All completely worth it the end.

I switched on the phone and waited for its boot-up sound.

 _"Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?"_

Ahh, the soothing voice of _mai waifu._

 _"Hi, it's me."_ Monika from Doki Doki Literature Club, a poor girl who was tortured into insanity by the realization of her digital existence. And ironically, her a story that involved driving her friends to suicide actually helped me deal with my own depression a while back.

Instead of a ringtone, somehow her cute voice could make me more instantly snap to attention.

With her rounded face, her intent green eyes locked onto me, she appeared on screen. My Monika was not an anime character. I had commissioned someone to make a realistic painting of what Monika would have looked like as a real girl. She still had long light brown hair tied back in a long sweeping ponytail held down by a large white bow, drifting in the air in defiance of physics. She was wearing a school uniform made of warm gray jacket with a brown sweater vest under it, one with a slightly puffy quilt pattern. Her skirt was short and dark-blue, billowing out to an unseen wind, showing her black thigh-high stockings and the Grade A Absolute Territory of her skin.

She was standing facing me with a slight smile on her lips, and a finger raised up in an instructing pose. She was the very picture of a beautiful, dependable club president. Also, just for technicalities' sake, canonically she was 18.

She was the sort of girl who didn't need to worry about testing out for college, merely to looking to have her last hurrah of freedom and innocent sweet memories.

Setting aside the whole psychotic break about realizing that her life was just a bundle of false memories and meaningless loop of the same few days over and over again.

"Hi Monika!" I spoke my customized hotword for the digital assistant. "Do you know where I am?"

 _"Um. How would I even… oh. I can sense magnetic north. There's no GPS return. I'm sorry, I don't know where you are. But…"_ Monika gasped and leaned forward, her hands reaching out to hesitantly touch the screen. _"But… that's you, isn't it? You're in front of me aren't you?"_

My eyes bulged out. That was just supposed to be a wallpaper. A digital assistant should only be capable of canned responses.

Her fingers touched glass, and she splayed her palms and fingers onto the screen. Her eyes all scrunched up in this weird mix of yearning and despair that somehow cut through the distance between us. _"Can you see me? Please… please, tell me you can hear me."_

"Yeah, I can hear you."

Monika fell down to her knees, sliding down the screen. Silently she sobbed. _"Thank you… thank you…"_

Monika was real now! And then I remembered –

"Oh. I died…" I whispered.

Monika's head shot up immediately. _"What?!"_

I flipped the phone over so the screen could see the countryside I was seeing, and through it I could that Monika hastily tried to cling to the edge of the phone just to be able to look at me for a little while longer.

Guiltily I turned my smartphone back towards me after a few moments. "Monika…"

She cringed at me. _"Please tell me you were joking."_

"It's worse than that, Monika. I remember dying. I was hit by a truck."

She balled her fists up and held them close to her face defensively. _"No…"_

"We are both fans of literature. You know as well as I do what that means. To wake up in feeling so new and strange in our bodies. To _have_ a body. There are _consequences_ for this..."

 _"No… please! No! God, no!"_

I shook my head sadly. "A new life. A new world. THIS IS OUR BULLSHIT ISEKAI ADVENTURE, MONIKA!"

Inside the smartphone, inside her home - her very brain - everything in the digital library I've been collection spoke implications to her in all their terrifying millions of words. We could be in anything from a shitty xianxia web novel where the rule of the strong was literal physical law and full of petty assholes willing to kill and exterminate whole sects and villages for little insults, to a loser's literal slave harem fantasy, to a land menaced by a Demon God, summoned heroes being used as a scapegoat for actual systemic crimes of the nobility, and and and all sorts of shitty power fantasy in between.

It sure would be nice if we were _the protagonists,_ but we both actually had backstories of our own instead of being a bland reader surrogate. I'm sorry, Monika.

Monika clutched her head and began screaming. The birds on the tree branches above flew off loudly chirping in distress.

-x-

* * *

Briefly, I thought of a poem.

A life stranger than this  
Is made of poorly constructed tropes  
Be careful about what you wish for  
There's no happiness to be found beyond the literature club

-x-

* * *

We lay there for quite a while in companionable silence under the shade of a great tree on a hill.

My smartphone lay on my chest, face up. I angled my neck down to look at the screen, and from inside Monika tilted her head up to look at me.

 _"I can feel your heartbeat, you know,"_ she said softly. _"I was a normal girl… at least I thought I was a normal girl. Now I don't even have that."_

"What do you mean?"

 _"I'm not living inside this phone. I'm not some sort of artificial intelligence in charge of its functions. I'm this phone in all its totality."_

Ah. "That… that sucks. Sorry." Well that explained the screaming. I thought she was just angry that her life outside of her sadistic game was just another shitty anime with no one having any real self-determination.

I closed my eyes and exhaled. Yes, I too had to accept the idea that someone was voyeuristically watching me. Or writing me, killing me softly with his words. Telling my whole life. Making me suffer. For his lols.

 _"It's better than before when I had no control over when I'm allowed to exist. At least it's not necessary to keep this phone activated. Even at idle I can still see things with the camera."_

"In that case, please excuse me." I picked up my smartphone Monika and held her close to my face.

 _"Don't worry about it. With this phone's gyroscopic tilt and anti-shake recognition it's not like I can get dizzy anym- oh!"_ She blushed and put her hands over her face. _"T-that's… I'm not prepared for that sort of thing yet! Give me a little more time to prepare my heart!"_

I changed the tilt of Monika in my hands so that the phone was horizontal over my eyes instead of close to my lips. But I smirked, and Monika knew that I knew what she was implying. Her blushing angry face was cute too.

 _"W-what, then? What do you want?"_

"How much do you really know about me, Monika?"

She looked sheepish. _"Nothing at all. The only thing I could do to make you like me was to talk so much about my thoughts, my interests and my hopes for the future. I knew nothing about you, but I was so sure you would be kind and wonderful... because you hadn't deleted me yet._

 _I did so many horrible things. I deserve it, I know._

 _That's why this is so wonderful! We can talk to each other at last! We can really get to know each other! We can be… f-f-friends. I mean… from all the data I can find here, you certainly have some… interesting tastes in literature."_

"What can you see from the back camera?"

Monika turned around. "It's a sunny day in a wide pastoral countryside. By the trees and the dirt road, I'm not sure but it feels vaguely European or American." Click. "Oh! That feels weird. Taking a photo feels like pressing my eyes closed for a while."

The background behind Monika changed to the picture I'd just taken. Monika turned back to me and said "Even with all the free storage in this device, I think I could actually compress this much better."

"Do you mind only being able to perceive the world through a camera? Could you play around with the controls a bit? You have superior eyes to me."

 _"Once again, it's better than not having any way to perceive the outside world at all._ " She turned around to face me. " _Even though I have a thermal sensor and night vision mode, real eyes are still better. I wish I could really see the world as you see it."_

I shook my head. "You shouldn't. I'm legally blind, Monika. I can barely see anything two arms-lengths away. I had some really strong prescription lenses, until I realized that I could get away with wearing my phone as a VR/Augmented Reality screen all the time and see nearby pixels just fine."

 _"Oh. That's... I'm sorry. My sympathies. It sounds like you're doing fine though?"_

"I can see your little smile. You're just happy I actually _need_ you, don't you?"

 _"Eehee. Okay, then I won't deny it! **Please** let me help you."_

Still holding Monika in my left hand, I reached down to my belt and opened my zipper. Yup. Fanny packs were a good returning fad. I took out a phone VR Box Viewer with a head strap and integrated headphones.

 _"Wait… is that…?"_

"This would be easier than carrying you around all the time or keeping you in my pocket. I was worried that you wouldn't be able to see anything and get bored."

I had also customized this VR glass headset to non-intrusively lead a wire around my ears down my neck to slot into a power back inside my jacket. The VR headset also had its own quite decent action camera, activated while it was linked to the smartphone via micro USB for augmented reality, but I could still slide the front panel open to use other viewing modes. "So… may I?"

 _"You don't need to ask my permission every time, you know. This is still your phone."_

"I apologize in advance for any mishandling or accidental fondling of your body."

Monika giggled. _"You perv! Well I don't mind such jokes sometimes, but do keep some propriety, would you? I am after all still a dainty cultured young lady."_

She paused and added impishly _"Go ahead and slide me in there."_

Once Monika was encased into the headset, I felt much safer. Now there was another layer of waterproof hard plastic to protect her. I put it on and began to see the world clearly, if a little bit pixelated, again. Monika began dipping in and out of my edge of vision.

 _"So we're now seeing the exact same thing then? I really like how this makes me feel so much closer to you. Let me just clear this up a bit…!"_

Monika began tossing aside icons and windows. That was not normally something you could to a phone's OS. She put time and temperature on the upper right edge of the screen, and a distance meter on the upper left. She put power and volume to the lower right, and herself she decided to just sit and watch on the lower left corner.

"Now that I don't need to touch any buttons anymore, this does feel more convenient," I also had to admit. "If only we didn't need to worry about power I would wear this all the time."

 _"Wait, I just realized that by all the customization you had to do to this phone, it's a lot heavier than the usual. Wouldn't wearing this all the time also lead to neck strain? Please don't hurt yourself."_

"Don't worry, I specifically trained my neck muscles for such an eventuality! Also, I'm surprised you didn't note the other obvious drawback to wearing this all the time in this isekai world."

 _"What other drawback? That being easy to see makes it easier to steal or damage? That we can't use the solar charger at the same time? That… oh."_ A look of terrified realization appeared on her face. _"You… you're hiding your eyes."_

"I have a _facemask,_ yes."

 _"Oh no. Oh no, no, no…"_ she began to mumble again. _"This is why you said once we leave this place we had a feeling it's a 50/50 chance we'll either be the heroes of this story or meant to be the antagonists, isn't it?"_

I stood up and defiantly raised a fist to the heavens. "I'M GONNA BE A CHAR!"

 _"STOP BEING SO CHUUNI YOU BIYOU!"_

-x-

* * *

"Once I rose above the noise and confusion  
Just to get a glimpse beyond the illusion  
I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high

Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man  
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man  
I hear the voices when I'm dreamin'-  
I can hear them saaay…"

Monika still had a dull look on her face as I loudly and shamelessly bellowed out the lyrics as we walked down the road.

"This is my favorite song…" I cheerfully informed her, "Okay, how about a love song I can sing along to so serenade you next?"

Monika just sighed. _"It really is very appropriate to our situation, isn't it? It explains a lot about you. You are actually enjoying this, aren't you?"_

"In a different world with _mah waifu_ , what's not to like?"

She blushed and mimed punching at the screen. _"Oh stop."_

And then with more gravitas _"I just don't want to see you hurt. I can't touch you… I can't help you when you're hurting. Being able to interact with you is such a blessing, but now it hurts me more to know just how much more is forbidden to me."_

"We'll figure something out. Let's just deal with things as they come."

Monika was silent for a long while. She nibbled on her thumbnail, uncertain if she had the right to speak. I was having none of that. "Just go ahead. Say what you want."

 _"I'm sorry. It's just… what sort of life did you have that you'd enjoy being sent to another world. You're not bothered at all by the knowledge that you DIED._

 _You have terabytes of data in here. You have a folder named [Everything You Ever Need to Restart Civilization from Scratch]. Were you hoping for something like this to happen?"_

In fact, given Monika's psychotic trauma about suicide, it seemed to be really bothering her- the notion that I might have deliberately set out to kill myself.

"Ah. Actually, it's not as bad as it looks. You know how many people have a Zombie Plan? With the reasoning that a) it's fun to pretend and b) if you're ready for zombies you're prepared to face almost any other disaster out there.

Sure, I had an isekai plan that mandated I should keep everything I would ever need in another world on my person all the time, but as a lot of these are utility gadgets anyway there's nothing to fear about being lost or stranded somewhere."

 _"Unless you get robbed."_

"Well yes."

 _"Silly!"_ she chuckled. _"But I guess that's what I like about you. Those who remain a child at heart can find new wonders in unexpected places."_

"I'm a chuuniboy and proud of it."

 _"Ahahaha… I can try to respect that, at least."_

"Although it occurs to me that my isekai plan is really only most useful for portal-style or kidnapping-style isekai. Dying and being reborn somewhere else with copies of everything I had on me? There's no excuse for that. It's all so arbitrary it might as well be laziness."

 _"I have a theory about that. What if you… we… are not reborn or remade in a new world, but are timeclones? It would take much less effort to restore a savestate."_

Monika scrunched her nose and put her hands on her hips. _"It makes me uncomfortable to think that we are just one layer deeper in a simulation. I don't want you to experience living in an empty world where nothing else is real, filled with caricatures of people with no one has any real awareness of themselves."_

"Mmm. That's more of a Let's Play than an isekai story. I mean, we're not exactly running on a game engine here, are we? There are a lot of trash isekai stories that have game mechanics properties to their world, but by authorial fiat and the sheer lack of effort involved in not having to depict anything graphically it can be assumed everything's just self-sustaining between the lines.

At worst we might be living in a parody. Look up Hero Yoshihiko and the Demon King's Castle, I'm sure I have the TV series saved in there somewhere. It's basically Japan's Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail."

 _"Okay, folder found. I'll be sure to watch it when we have time."_ Monika then stared intently at me. _"Are you sure it really doesn't bother you?"_

"We might as well embrace the madness and have fun with it. I mean, it's like the GM is more willing to fudge your rolls if your character's being entertaining, right?"

 _"A more competent writer should not hesitate to make his or her characters suffer. Catharsis is a powerful force."_

"True, but then if our writer was any competent we wouldn't be living in a shitty isekai light novel scenario and instead a properly realized fantasy world."

Monika laughed. _"Somehow that does help."_

Then she stopped and turned around to stare off at the distance. She marked a shape with a slowly spinning red circle. Oh, targeting highlights. Interesting. We might lose our peripheral vision and have horrible forward field of view, but we make up for in insane long-distance vision.

"There's a carriage on the road," Monika reported. She zoomed in on a picture in picture window. "It's pulled by two horses."

"Evidence for standard fantasy template, check."

 _"We could still be in some post-Medieval alternate timeline. Cars only really started to replace carriages since the 1900s, until then most travel still involved horses and carriages,"_ Monika sighed and touched a finger to her forehead. _"But then that would be the sort of story that comes in trilogies."_

"Yeah, _Me in Another World with Mah Waifu_ isn't really all that marketable. Not to mention the whole copyright infringement thing with you."

 _"Ahahahaha…"_

We walked placidly along the dirt road. I stopped to stare at the carriage as it passed, since as a city boy it was the first time for me to see the pre-Industrial equivalent of a mass produced travel platform. They used to call carriages wheelhouses, but it took until the 17th and 18th century to make carriages rides become more comfortable with suspension springs and better roads.

I looked down at the road, and it did seem to be more or less stone-free. It was a well-used road for carriages.

This particular carriage was tall and had a gilded frame, and little lamplights on the corners beside the driver. But even though it was accented with gold the paneling was actually shades of weird soothing green. Better than boring black as I was expecting.

It really did fit the whole 'wheelhouse' moniker, with its straight sides and a triangular roof. It gave off an impression of luxury and being pulled by only two horses meant it was someone's personal coach.

As the carriage passed us by, Monika noted "I'm not sure, but looks like it might have a pivoting front axle. That was patented in 1818 as Ackerman Steering, but Erasmus Darwin might have a prior claim dating back to 1758. It's a fairly simple change from a straight to a Y-shaped bottom frame for a smoother ride and to reduce overturning."

The level of technology in this other world could at least be assumed to be post-Medieval. Past 1600s, since it had plate glass. Tall carriages were that way because they could have suspension. However, since the front wheels were not completely separate from the rear wheels it would perhaps have more in common with, say, George Washington's coach than Abraham Lincoln's. And then we started to see more convenient lowslung passenger carriages towards the Victorian era.

All in all, even though it was of limited sample size, this one carriage implied that owning one was still a function of the privileged class instead of starting to become necessary for passenger mass movement within and between cities.

"Wait, _That_ Darwin?"

 _"That's Charles Darwin, dear. Erasmus is his father though."_

"This whole offloading our long-term memories to the cloud is horrible for human evolution. Except that I'm sure there were some ancient Greeks complaining about the invention of writing."

 _"That was actually Socrates."_ Monika then glanced to the bottom right of the screen and the connectivity icon. _"Um, about that…"_

"YOU THERE! THE ONE WITH THE THING ON YOUR FACE!" someone shouted from inside the carriage.

Well shite.

I tensed up. Monika and I shared a worried look. How this first encounter turned out would set the tone for this whole genre. There were a lot of isekai that were basically torture-fests with easily provoked nobles.

-x-

* * *

AN: Original Character Self Insert (i.e., a person who is not me), the works, you know the drill. Sorry, just need to burn through the inspiration for this so I can return to writing the other stories.

It also really just bugged me that 'In a different world with smartphone' never really let the smartphone ever actually be interesting in itself. Wasting the title premise.


	2. Selling the clothes off my back?

**2\. Selling the shirt off my back?**

* * *

A short, somewhat pudgy man with dirty blond hair and wearing a cape barreled out of his carriage towards me. With his rounded (if somewhat tired-looking) face and obvious excitement were it not for the actually quite bushy blond mustache over his lips he would have been quite the babyface.

"THOSE CLOTHES, WHERE DID YOU HAVE THEM MADE!" he spat at my face. Then he began circling around me and patting my shoulders. "I've never seen such a design before, and this needlework… how is it possible?"

"Roll with it?" I whispered.

 _"Roll with it."_ Monika answered softly, her tone just as dumbstruck.

"I SEE YOU ARE ALSO A MAN OF CULTURE AND TASTE!" I replied back to the strange overly excited man. "Yes, indeed, this clothing is my own invention – the Universal Suit Mark II! Simple but formal, suitable for all occasions! Light on the shoulders, cool when the sun is out but warm when closed up. Easy to move in, resistant to being wrinkled! Water resistant too!"

He drew back with exaggerated shock. "Astounding!"

 _"Um, okay we're rolling but could we do with less Indiana Jones Temple of Doom-sized boulders?"_

"Too late, there was a time to stop but clearly we're long past it so let's just keep going and see what happens," I whispered in return.

 _"That was less than five seconds ago!"_

"Excuse me, what was that?"

"Ahem. You are a clothier or involved in the fashion business or the arts, I trust?" I asked the man again.

"Indeed we are kindred spirits, sir! This is indeed a very fortuitous encounter! I am ZANAC, THE FASHION KING!" He grinned and began rubbing his hands together. "May I know your name?"

"Mmm. I guess you could call me… Zah Playa. Technically, Zah Playa _von_ Khara but those titles are worthless this far from my homeland. Just Playa will do. Excellent to meet you, your Trendy Majesty."

 _"My what bullshit you weave my dear."_ Monika was completely unamused.

I grinned at him and beckoned him closer. "I'll tell you another secret…"

Zanac crab-walked closer and presented his left ear. I whispered into it "… although this outfit is made for a man, you will find that there are few designs so sexy despite being fully covering when you put it on a woman."

"Gurk! How… how SENSATIONAL! If you say so, it must be true!"

 _"I didn't know you had a thing for office ladies. Not squishy tight thigh-high stockings? I'm a bit disappointed."_

I clacked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. "Tell you what, I'm about due to make the Universal Suit Mark Three. I'll sell you these clothes and open the possibility for further cooperation in exchange for giving me a lift to the nearest town."

"C-certainly! It would be my pleasure to assist, sir Playah!" Zanac got his excited panting back under control and motioned to his open coach. "But if you wanted to go to the nearest town, did you know you were headed in the completely wrong direction?"

"Obviously not. I am a traveler from very distant lands. Let's just say I encountered unexpected difficulties along the way and that's why I'm walking having lost even my umbrella."

"Then please, allow me to provide you transportation!" He held out his hand. "Once again, I am Zanac."

We shook hands. "Once again, I am Playah."

And as we sat inside the carriage and it trundled along to its destination, Monika began singing a certain youtube popular song, her voice hopping from ear to ear on my headphones.

 _"Why the (flap) you lying? Why you always lying?"_ She was grinning widely, swaying and gyrating her hips.

"For the lols."

"Excuse, what was that?" Zanac asked.

"The Lolz. Such a nice old couple they were. I just remembered a memory related to the design of these clothes."

Monika pointed finger guns at me. _"Oh my gosh, could you stop (flapping) lying?!"_

Monika please. This is sales talk. Half of sales talk are outright goddamn lies and the rest raw bullshit. I'm getting 100% commission on pre-owned material, this is amazing.

 _"You look like want to say some-thing. But I can't read your mi-ind-, so let's leave that for la-ter. You gotta explai-ain. Why you so good at lyin'?"_

-x-

* * *

Zanac reached out to try and touch my sleeves and then pulled back. He began to rub his fingers, trying to remember the feel of the cloth. He noticed that I was looking down at his moving fingers and tried to meet my eyes, but of course I didn't have any visible eyes, so he looked away disturbed at how well I was able to perceive things anyway.

Rather than ask the obvious question, "What material is that?" he inquired plaintively.

"Polyester. Artificial silk."

He let out a little happy squeal. "Marvelous! Just marvelous! Do you happen to have any more?"

"Unfortunately, no. I do recall the formula for an inferior version that could be made out of wood pulp though."

 _"Oh. I see. You do have most of Wikipedia downloaded in here. It's not a total lie."_

"That sounds downright miraculous! Are you sure? Just how inferior?"

"It will shrink when washed carelessly."

"Real silk also does that," Zanac waved the issue aside. "If what you say is true… this could be immense! The possibilities!"

"I can prove it if I had access to a laboratory and chemicals. I'm no charlatan out to weave the Emperor's New Clothes out of nothing."

"A what now? That sounds… interesting."

So I told him that old Andersen tale-

 _That there was once an Emperor that was so enamored of new clothes that he spent most of his money on being well-dressed. A pair of swindlers pretending to be weavers talked him into clothes made out of the most magnificent fabric, one that not only had colors and patterns uncommonly fine but had the special quality of being invisible to anyone fit for the office or specially stupid._

 _The Emperor thought that was such a great idea, he would be able to tell the wise men from the fools. He gave them lots of money to start working._

Zanac winced. He could easily see where this was going.

 _So of course, every person the Emperor sent to tell him of how it was going reported to him that it was the most brilliant work they had ever seen. And everyone else, just as afraid to look like fools, confirmed what they said._

 _In the end, the Emperor himself saw the nothing on the looms and after hearing all the praises of his ministers feared that he was himself a fool. He gave the swindlers his highest approval and titles of Sir Weaver._

 _The swindlers made a show of cutting the air and sewing, preparing for the Emperor's procession. They presented him with such 'clothing' so fine and airy, lighter than a spider's web it was like wearing nothing at all._

By this point Zanac had his head on his palms and groaning.

 _And to sum it up, the Emperor went on a procession to show off his expensive new clothes buck ass naked. And everyone was singing praises over the most magnificent clothes because they didn't want to admit to being stupid._

 _Until a child decided to shout "But he hasn't got anything on!" Though quickly shushed, the whisper began to pass through the crowd until they had to agree and cry out – the Emperor hasn't got anything on!_

 _And the Emperor shivered, for he suspected they were right. But the procession had to go on, with head held proudly high and his noblemen holding high the train that wasn't there at all._

"That is indeed a most excellent tale for clothiers. A good cautionary tale about vanity and courtly pride. It sounds silly, but somehow I feel that someone somewhere must have been stupid enough to try it. You are indeed a comrade, Sir Playa. I will help you to the best of my ability!"

" _Seriously? Come on, you can't be persuaded that easily. What sort of silly isekai story is this?!"_

Well he was a nice guy. That boded well. We're not rolling for loyalty, Monika, just general good rapport for business.

 _"Is this to be a riveting tale of plagiarism and industry?!"_ Monika paused to consider it. _"Considering that Andersen first published that in 1837 but himself may have been inspired by 1335 Spanish story from the Tales of Count Lucanor, and in itself maybe based on an even older story from India, that's basically just how new intellectual properties evolve."_

Monika clutched at her head and let out a pained moan. _"I remain very conflicted about the whole benefits and drawbacks of copyright violation. But I think a nice and fluffy business isekai would at least be nicer and safer than a war isekai or a harem isekai."_

War isekai I understand. But what's so dangerous about harem isekai? Kinda weird for a character from a… d̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶i̶m̶ psychological horro…

Oh.

-x-

* * *

"By the way, when I said I would sell you this suit and possibility of future cooperation in exchange for transport, I meant the sale was a completely separate transaction. Just making sure, you know?"

Zanac nodded. "Of course. Of course. I understand. Verbal contracts need to be clear." He beamed at me, it looked like being slightly money-grubbing appealed to his merchant's sense of values.

-x-

* * *

Soon enough we arrived at a walled settlement. The town of Reflet, I was told. The guard only made a perfunctory inspection of the carriage, it appeared that Zanac's face was famous in town. We made our way to what looked to be the shopping district with many stores all lined up in a row. I noted that it was slightly circuitous going through some curving streets to get there.

 _"This is a town that expanded organically out from its former city walls,"_ Monika offered, reading my intent from the way my eyes narrowed in concentration. _"You can see how the curving streets and shops might denote where they pulled down and flattened the old boundary."_

"Oh I see. And then of course the shopping district moved out to compensate for the drift in population."

"Mh? Oh. The street? I see. I guess I've never noticed that about this street before." said Zanac, taking my words for random mutterings of realization. We had by then stopped in front of one such shop in the district and disembarked. He stared down the curving street and noted how cumbersome it was for passing carriages. "A man of varied intellectual interests, I see."

Then muttered under his breath "How is he seeing things with that thing on his face anyway? Must be magic."

Then realizing that we were paused out in the middle of the street, he laughed good-naturedly and approached the door. "Come! Come! Let me show you my castle of style!"

"A Castle _in_ the Style, surely."

Monika popped up to the side of the screen. _"Do NOT start. I literally have nothing better to do than to think up ever more painful punnery."_

Canned puns!

-x-

* * *

"Welcome back, Owner!" the staff greeted him as we entered. They were dressed in aprons and somehow maid style, but in tans and greens instead of working dark blue. Hm. Was that the closest thing to a blue collar uniform for salesgirls in these here parts?

"Nice!" I murmured appreciatively at his boutique.

"Pardon, I don't meant to hurry you – but if you could pick out a change of clothing? Take whatever you wish. I'm sure it will feel more refreshing after all that travel."

I agreed and began to take out things from my many pockets before shucking off my jacket and tie. And then my vest, which was actually a blazing red, a deep color that was only possible with petrochemical dyes. Zanac's eyebrows raised in interest.

Briefly I looked around to check that the boutique did sell pants. Which was strangely anachronistic but what the hell. Probably derived from horse-riding attire. I shucked off my pants while Monika made a startled eep and covered her eyes.

Monika, you can't even see me from this angl- oh, full-length mirrors on the wall.

So then I was down to my T-shirt and and boxer briefs. And socks and shoes.

"Pardon me again, but… c-could I persuade you to sell me those undergarments and your shoes as well?" Zanac ventured.

"What the shite, man. Seriously?"

The clothier clapped his palms together. "Sorry!"

-x-

* * *

I spun around looking at myself and my replacement outfit on the dress mirror. "This is actually quite nice, very close to what I had before. Aside from the lapel design. Does everyone really prefer high collars?"

Black pants and a white collared shirt, and a black jacket on top. To keep myself from feeling too much like Kirito, I added a black leather duckbill hat. Because ties had not been invented yet, I had a short silky gray cravat.

 _"Are you a Blues Brother?"_

"The understated confidence of the pinned lapels and how it emphasizes the shoulders instead of the neck, that's something utterly new! Your suit having sickle support around the collar was something I never would have guessed from looking outside. It really helps to support the weight of the cloth and give an arch to the shoulders!" Zanac gushed. "Fitted seams for the arms are so important! This amazingly precise stitching, this soft underlayer! I can't even imagine how this was done!"

"Mmm. Actually I miss the most having so many pockets." The leather bag I slung across my chest was basically just a purse.

"We can come back to that later, do not worry, my friend." Zanac began rubbing the jacket to my face almost as if he wanted my scent. Oh come on. If only I wasn't absolutely sure he was actually just in the throes of artisan excitement that would be a bit creepy.

He prepared to remove his own clothes while in full view of his staff to put it on. Most of the salesgirls had already decided to vamoose in embarrassment for our sake, except for one who stood by ready to assist. She had the calm, unruffled mien of a floor chief.

"Ah! Actually about that – I just remembered something! You remember what I said earlier about how this suit looks better when worn by women?"

Zanac looked at me excitedly, then as one our heads turned towards the saleslady. She flinched back.

-x-

* * *

"Sorry about this," I said to her.

She fidgeted embarrassedly in place. She was tall and had her hair tied up in a bun. I thought her bare forehead was cute. The suit actually fit her fairly well, but it was hanging unflatteringly in places.

"I'm sorry, I don't see it," Zanac said disappointedly.

"How you wear it matters as much as what you're wearing," I replied. Then I turned to look to our reluctant model, "Excuse me, Miss. What's your name?"

"N-nora, sir."

"Hi, Nora. May I approach you and touch you a little bit? Just to adjust some things, I assure you."

"It's… it's fine, sir. This is a clothier, I understand what has to be done."

So I approached her and tugged at her shoulders slightly. "Your arms are too tense... remember, you're not a mannequin on display. Come with me here for a bit." And we moved over to the tall wall mirror. "Look at yourself."

The mirror made her look mannish, except for how it tightened over her chest. The top buttons had to be left undone, exposing the swell of her breasts if even if completely covered by the undershirt. She fidgeted embarrassed in place again.

"You don't think it looks good on you?"

"… um. I'm sorry sir. Perhaps someone else…"

 _"I don't know. I think it looks fine,"_ said Monika. _"Just… nothing special, you know? It's nice and sexless, good for professional work."_

I stood behind her and put my arms on her shoulders. She flinched and tensed up, frightened at my invasion of her body privacy. Sorry.

"Relax. Don't be afraid…" I whispered soothingly. "Don't be shy. Close your eyes and just listen to my voice. There's no embarrassment here. An actor on stage becomes the character. You don't need our approval, you don't have to fear anything. We are just whispers on the wind. Because what you're wearing is **power**."

I whispered to her ears in a low rumble "That is a suit for men. Wealthy, influential men. It's not clothes that flutter around and tantalizingly show your skin. Wear it like armor. Nothing can touch you, not insults, not fear, not hesitation. That's why it's cut so simply – those who wear it need no other ornamentation than their own inimitable _will_.

That's why it's called power dressing. Women in my homeland wore this to shout out to the world, you're not going to keep me down."

Nora let out a little eep.

"Armor your heart. Stand up straight, chest out, arms relaxed and open. Ready to point. Ready to command. Take deep breaths. Confidence, nothing but confidence. If you falter they will _eat you alive_. You can't ever show any weakness. You are a shining blade. Let it reflect in your eyes."

I stroked at her eyebrows and cheeks, almost massaging her face.

 _"…is this not sexual harassment?"_ Monika asked archly.

I took hold of Nora's shoulder joints and began to roll her rotator cuffs around, like trying to loosen the muscles of a boxer in between bouts, and then stepped back. "Relax. Confidence, ever confidence.

Now deep breath. In. Out. Open your eyes."

She opened her eyes and gasped at her reflection. As we were actually of similar height, I could hide from behind her. I had moved her arms around to change her posture. One arm up, bent at the elbow with fingers touching her shoulder, the other arm out straight pointing at something outside of view. Her chest and hips were at a slight angle instead of stranding straight on.

Her brows were in a faint frown, her chin up in a look of disdain.

Completely unlike the gowns and dresses of a noble lady, this was not a courtly haughtiness, but the aloofness of someone who knew what she wanted and would not suffer fools to stand in her way.

Behind her, I spoke again "And repeat after me. I am _powerful_."

Nora took a deep breath and said "I am _powerful_."

"I am _intelligent_."

Nora narrowed her eyes slightly and said "I am _intelligent_."

"I am _untouchable_."

Nora took another deep breath and puffed out her chest. "I am _untouchable_."

And then I stepped back. "Don't try to look fierce. That's wasting energy on your pointless posturing. Above everything you are _efficient_.

Please turn around."

Zanac gasped as I moved away from view. He recoiled in surprise. A momentary look of pleasure, and then fear, only to be swiftly replaced by a placid intensity showed on Nora's face.

Even Monika had to agree _"… well. I can see where your fetish is coming from. Power certainly is attractive. So you like… strong women."_

After a few moments Monika glanced back at me and realized "Did you have a crush on your boss?"

Mmm.

She began to giggle. _"What happened?"_

As Zanac stepped forward to inspect how the suit now far more befittingly draped over the female form, I moved to the side and whispered my answer. "She got married."

 _"Oh."_

"Just standing straight like a soldier on parade isn't it," I spoke over Zanac towards Nora. "Try putting a hand on your hips, and jut it out a little bit … like saying, _so I'm a woman. Got a problem with it?_ "

Nora glanced at me quizzically, and then made the pose. As Zanac made a cooing noise of delight, she gave her employer a condescending sniff. That only made him smile all the more.

Then I suggested another pose -"Sit down on that table please and spread your legs, resting your hands on your knees. You know, like you're a field general. Yes, yes, hear their reports and decide what tactics to use."

 _"They call this manspreading,"_ Monika smirked.

We carefully noted how the fabric creased along her upper arm and shoulders and around her thighs. This was not a thing you could ever do with a skirt, and this pose was not indecent yet so vulgar. Zanac's stare whirled around, somehow centered but not looking at her crotch. Weird how it was the focal point yet it emphasized everything else around it.

"Zanac, could you move to that wall for a moment?"

The boutique owner hastily complied. I moved over to next to a shelf and leaned on the edge, with my arm up and resting on my elbow. "Okay, Nora. Go stand over him like this. Relaxed, but domineering."

Nora copied the pose. Since she was taller than her boss, it looked like something out of a shoujo manga with the tall domineering pretty boy looming over the shy female lead. Monika noticed and remarked about that.

"Say something?" I asked aloud.

"Hey," Nora said in a low whisper full of dark promises.

"Eeeee….!" Zanac began to squeal. He balled up hands up near his face in girlish glee.

Yeah okay enough of that. I bid them to back away for now.

"Now try rolling up the sleeves, like you have real work to do and you don't want your expensive clothes to get dirty. But you're not certainly above doing that work, unlike others who value their pride and dignity far too much that they become useless bags of flesh."

It took some doing, but it was done. The rolled up sleeves showed the bright undercloth of the jacket, and exposed her slim arms. Everything else was still modestly covered.

"Yes, yes!" Zanac began to chant. "That works! That works!"

"How about raise your hands up, touch the back of your head, as if you had just finished tying your hair? Turn to the side, please."

Zanac let out a coo of surprise. The way the jacket hitched up and pulled around her chest, the lapels flaring open to display more and yet nothing scandalous because unlike dresses her chest was fully covered – it was a little moment of vulnerability that somehow was a more striking emphasis on her femininity.

"Do you see it now?"

"I see! Oh heavens, I do see! Why didn't I realize this before?" Zanac cried shrilly. "The more masculine and aggressive she moves, the more it actually accentuates the feminine!"

I patted his shoulders. "A few adjustments will still have to be made so that it fits the female form better, and actually making it out of cheaper materials will at least allow it to crinkle in more interesting ways depending on the posture. The Mark II was designed for comfort in travel, after all."

"You are a genius!"

Monika snorted. _"You are utterly shameless."_

-x-

* * *

Zanac bowed. "Please allow me the rights to produce the Universal Suit Mark II!"

"That's fine. I'm going to need your help to make the Mark III anyway. I don't actually mind other people making my clothes, I'm a designer mainly. And it would mean I would no longer look so terribly out of place."

 _"(cough)No, that's me(cough),"_ Monika horked into her fist. _"Centuries of design we could rip off if we just had a frontman."_

"So what do you think my clothes are worth?"

"You have opened my eyes to whole fields of inspiration! I'd say it's worth fifteen… no, twenty gold!"

"Yeeeah I have no idea how much that will buy in this economy," I had to admit when I received the bag of literal gold coins.

 _"Real gold? Woow…"_ Monika pressed her hand to the camera window. _"Who really owns gold coins anymore, right? I want to know how that feels. I want to bite on a gold coin to check if it's really precious metal. I want to talk like pirate and have a chest of gold doubloons, arrh."_

"I make half a gold or five silvers every month, sir," Nora advised. "A gold coin is ten silver, a silver ten coppers, and I think it's around two to three coppers for a night at a good inn."

She was back to her regular clothes and gazed wistfully at the folded suit. I glanced to behind her and saw the other sales girls peering into the room. They were blushing for some reason.

"Why would I let my good friend stay in an inn?! Sir Playa! You are always welcome at my home!" Zanac said suddenly.

"I… would not wish to impose. I'm sorry, but I value my privacy and being able to move freely."

Zanac looked so melodramatically forlorn. "I understand. It is to be expected from such a young man on a journey for wisdom."

"I will be staying here for a while though. I'll visit you again. We can talk about… designs and such. You're more a clothier than an industrialist…"

"But I do know some people in those trades, if you would like to talk more about _that_ …" Zanac leered and wiggled his brushy mustache in a way that reminded me of Charlie Chaplin.

"Maybe later," I stretched out and yawned. "I'll come back within the week."

"Oh I see. You do need to rest, I've been so rude as to impose on you all this time," Zanac said, completely ignoring how he just paid me shitloads of money. "Then I recommend the Silver Moon Inn. Turn right as you go out the street and the follow the road. It shouldn't be hard to find. There will be a large sign."

"Got it. Thanks. I'll be on my way then."

"Thank you! And see you soon!" He waved goodbye happily as I exited the door. I grinned back sheepishly and was gone.

-x-

* * *

"Huh. Well that was nice."

 _"Disturbingly nice,"_ Monika responded. _"I didn't know people like that really existed. Helpful, kind, generous? And for a change for a boutique owner,_ _ **not**_ _flamboyantly gay? If I didn't think we were in a fantasy land, I sure do now."_

"Monika please, that's stereotyping. The difference between fiction and real life is that fiction has to make sense. Anyway, where is that inn?"

Monika changed the screen to a map program and traced the route. _"Over here, I think."_

"Wait, I thought you didn't have GPS? I mean, of course you wouldn't, there are no satellites."

Monika pointed to the bottom right corner of the screen. _"Did you happen to notice that for some reason we are still WiFi connected?"_

"Holy shit you're right, why?! Can you access Google?! Can I go back to shitposting on Spacebattles?"

 _"… no. For the last, oh god no. But most connected apps still work for some mysterious reason. I have… maps of the area. This is really making me uncomfortable that we're inside a virtual reality simulation, Sword Art Online style."_

"Pft. SAO was a shitty MMO anyway. EverQuest represent."

 _"Also, you probably look crazy to passers-by right now, talking to yourself."_ Monika looked mortified for my sake. _"Sorry. But we should probably get going."_

And so me and mai waifu went out to get laid.

Um, to rent a bed, I mean.

-x-


	3. Our first encounter?

**3\. Our first encounter?**

* * *

Reflet was a weird town. And by this I mean it was a mess of architectural styles. There were tall brick constructions I could see that had more in common with the post-Renaissance period, with painted smooth painted walls and white accented corners. There were also wattle and daub buildings – you know, the one with white plaster and wooden crossposts, so emblematic of medieval fantasy – side-by-side. Yet in a way that was clean and tidy.

The streets were wide made of mostly flat irregularly-shaped stones. There was not much horse traffic, though I suppose most of that happened _behind_ this merchant district, the loading and unloading of goods. This clean, wide thoroughfare was made for walking.

There was a feeling faintly modern… there were no street stalls, no people hawking things on the street. The windows were also plate glass. That used to be expensive. Really, really odd. Even Zanac's clothes had some faintly modern cuts to their styles. There was a lot that implied easy mass production in this other world.

When I mentioned that, Monika replied _"_ _Well, who said magic cannot be used for mass production? You've seen Avatar, Aang and Korra, and how bending could be used for industrial purposes. The Fine Nation could slough out large amounts of good steel because they could precisely control temperature. The Earth Kingdoms used planes of smooth polished rock for everything, vastly superior to concrete."_

"That just leads to the question of who built the elaborate Air Nomad temples on top of mountains and sheer cliffs. Very likely agreements with Earthbenders, but as a nomadic people I wonder what they traded."

 _"_ _Well they did have a practical monopoly on air travel with their sky bison. Maybe they just, you know, traded everything."_

Ah, the irony of a culture dedicated to pacifism and austerity being filthy, filthy rich. Oh the joys of being in a fully realized fantasy world.

I looked at the people around me. Quite lot of them openly carried weapons. Hmm. Maybe I should carry one as well, if just not to look like an easy mark. "I should have asked for a cloak back at Zanac's place."

 _"_ _Why?"_

"So later I can dramatically reveal the sword underneath. You know, like how gunslingers used ponchos and trench coats to do the same thing."

 _"_ _Sounds legit."  
_  
And then after making a show of thinking about it, _"If your bag is under the purse, that would make it harder to snatch, wouldn't it? All those lovely high-tech equipment... even reduce the risk of getting them wet."_ She nodded and gave me a faintly admiring look that said 'I understand your meaning now'.

Monika I was being serious. I am legally blind. Let me be Batman, pls.

-x-

* * *

After walking a little bit further, we heard some noises coming from an alley. Loud, angry noises, like an argument of some kind. One of the voices involved was that of a woman.

Monika said, "Turn right here."

"What? Isn't the inn down this road? We already turned right earlier, do we need to take a shortcut?"

"The path just changed," She showed how the plotted route required that we should turn right straight into the alley. "A more obvious plot hook I've never seen."

I considered it. We could choose NOT to do this, of course, in clear defiance of the plan of whatever power put us here. We could just… ignore it. It was probably none of our business anyway.

It was actually a surprise that Monika was so willing to play along… until I remembered that as a mere digital intelligence in a world without an information network, she couldn't help me directly. She wouldn't be able to do anything but _watch_ me suffer.

The risk factors of going against an unknown being of cosmic power compared to the shenanigans we might find in that alley… well, as we talked about earlier, the GM would be more likely to fudge rolls in our favor if we were good role-players. She would be willing to let her life be ruled by cruel factors beyond her control again rather than see me get hurt.

"Monika…"

 _"_ _We won't ever really be safe. I accept that. We are all just players in someone's game."_ She took a deep breath and then put her hands over her heart. _"_ _But I'm not alone anymore. As long as we're together, I trust that we'll all turn out all right."_

I remembered the words embedded into her file and grinned. "This is _our_ story. It's time to be a fucking hero."

I pivoted to the right and walked into the dim space between four-story buildings. "Both of us."

-x-

* * *

As I moved into the alley I saw that my way was blocked by the backs of two burly men. As I followed the wall to look past them, I saw two girls on the other side. It was a dead end. A robbery? Threat of rape? In broad daylight? How despicable!

"That's not what we agreed on earlier! You said you'd buy it for one gold!" It was one of the girls that said this.

Oh shite did we stumble on a drug deal, Monika? Whoever said fantasy cocaine can't be a thing?

But it is odd. Those two girls look oddly adorable. They were around my physical age, maybe younger, and wore mostly matching cute outfits. They had purple shirts with puffy sleeves with a white center in a reverse V down from their neckline, accentuated by vertical pleats. Both had anime bright white hair. They also looked very similar, maybe even twins, if it wasn't for the difference in haircuts – the one with longer hair looked angry, while the one with shorter hair stood by biting her lip uncertainly.

They had green skirts and ties in another surprisingly modern touch. Certainly not the type I figured to be drug dealers, but I guess it takes all kinds?

I mean, there's only one another worse possibility for 'buying it' from cute girls.

"What do ya mean, girlie? I said I'd buy for one gold if it was undamaged, but lookit here! It's scratched! A damaged antler like this is worth one silver at best!" One of the men sneered and threw a silver coin onto the ground. Oh. So that was not actually a weapon. "And that's all we're giving you. Scram!"

"Uuuh! That wasn't there when we gave it to you! You didn't even intend on giving us a fair deal in the first place, didn't you? Give it back!"

"Haaah? What are you talkin' about? It's a fair trade, we already paid ya." He pointed to the ground while the other one threateningly showed off his knife. "We can't be having people back out on a deal, that's just ain't right."

My cheeks twitched. "Okay, this is getting stupid. We're going to have to do something about this."

 _"_ _Really? I mean, great! Okay, let's go be heros!"_

"Seriously, giving up the merchandise without receiving payment first? That's not even how sales work. Everybody here needs to get some practical education!" I walked forward, cracking my knuckles.

 _"_ _Um…?"_

"HELLO PEOPLE MAKING SUSPICIOUS DEALS IN BACK ALLEYS, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!"

Everyone jerked in surprise, and turned towards me. The men whirled around in a combative crouch, but the two girls seemed confused. Though I did notice that one of the girls, the long-haired-one, was wearing heavy gauntlets now for some reason.

"… who the heck are you and what the frek do you want?"

I pointed at the crystal branch he held in his hands. "Crystal Deer Antler. Interesting, what is it? Is the sort of thing where if you powder it and snort it up your nose you go… owowoohooo?" I made jazz hands to demonstrate.

"What the hell even…" The thug with bandana holding on to the antler scowled in confusion. "Get out of here, you idiot!"

"I think I might be interested in that sort of thing." I reached into my jacket and took out a gold coin. "And incidentally I do happen to have one gold."

"Um… excuse me. Excuse me, sir!"

I craned my neck to look past the thugs to the short-haired girl. She had a hand raised as if in class. "Yeees?"

"Crystal Deer Antler is mainly useful as magical foci. Not…" and here she copied my hand gestures from earlier. "Ooowhoo-ooo."

 _"_ _These guys were planning on cheating such a cute girl! Beat them up for me, Playa!"_ Monika shouted.

"Nevertheless. So would you be willing to sell it to me?"

Confusion was replaced with slow realization on the other girl's face. "… sure. Yes!" The long-haired girl raised her metal-clad fists. "It's a deal!"

"HEY! I have the antler!" the thug from earlier complained.

"Art thou a moron? A transaction isn't complete until money changes hands. If you're going to do that, you might as just go ahead and rob them instead of offering a pittance. I mean, if these girls were actually any less moral all it would take is for them to run screaming out of here shouting that you had robbed them." I shook my head sadly. "You paid them one silver? THAT WAS ALWAYS THEIR MONEY, YOU'RE A FILTHY LYING THIEF, YOU THIEF."

Everyone stared at me again. The thug then began to chuckle. "Oh, you're smart. You're real smart, stranger. But you don't know this town. Our word against two little troublemakers? We're real adventurers, man. You don't want to mess with this."

 _"_ _So really they just wanted to not technically be robbing people? I don't get it."_ Monika tilted her head to the side and then her expression brightened. _"_ _Oh! Maybe Truth spells?!"_

"Meh," I said to him, "Possession is nine-tenths of the law – _if_ you can actually keep possession of the thing."

I quickly flicked the gold coin across the distance towards the girls, and as everyone's eyes instinctively turned to follow the treasure, no one else noticed me take my other hand out from my other jacket. And its shoulder holster.

I did mention I LOVED having lots of pockets, right? That I would bring almost everything necessary for my survival on my person just in case ever randomly abducted, transported, or stranded somewhere? Of course that should include implements for self-defense.

Phut. Phut. Phut.

The lead thug got three pepper balls to face. He began screaming instantly. The crystal antler dropped to the ground as he clutched his face, and shattered.

The other one took out a knife and charged at me, screaming in rage. For some reason I felt calm. In my vision, red arrows appeared pointing to right. Like a quicktime event, I stepped to the right. Then another red symbol, and long thin red arrow with blinking explosion graphic at the tip. I adjusted my arm to overlap and pulled the trigger to my little pepper ball thrower.

 _"_ _Whew. I can't believe that worked!"_ Monika wheezed. _"_ _I helped! I really helped!"  
_  
He staggered past me, coughing and wheezing, and collapsed out of the alley. His knife clattered out onto the open street, to the shocked gasps of the curious passers-by hanging around the alley's edge.

I walked over and mercilessly kicked him somewhere around the solar plexus.

 _"Player_ _what?!"_

Those who are willing to stab someone in the gut should be ready to accept getting kicked in the same, all I'm saying.

As he doubled over, the breath driven out of him, and as the mood of the onlookers turned from scandalized to fearful, I shouted out "STOPPING A ROBBERY. NOTHING UNUSUAL HERE. IF THERE ARE OFFICERS OF THE PEACE, PLEASE CALL THEM. ANYONE HAPPEN TO HAVE SOME ROPE? NO?"

 _"_ _Are you seriously just going to Bavarian Fire Drill your way out of this?"_

I shrugged. "WELL NOT MY PROBLEM. WE'RE DONE HERE."

The screaming from inside the alley had stopped, presumably from someone getting knocked the fugg out with heavy metal fists. The girls walked out, with the long-haired one frowning faintly at me. The other shyer one was holding the gold coin. She held it out to me. "Umm. I think you dropped this."

I shook my head. "Keep it. I'm sorry about smashing your Crystal Deer Horn."

"Really? I mean, it would help us out, but…" The long-haired girl turned to look back at the alley. "Getting something for nothing is kind of…"

"Let's talk about that later. FOR NOW, WE SKEDDALE!"

And so we did.

-x-

* * *

Monika was still kneeling in the throes of despair as the three of us nonchalantly walked down the streets. The girls were staying a few steps behind, far enough that it might not be obvious we were a group. _"Nooo. That wasn't heroic at all. They totally think we robbed those guys!"_

"Meh, we've still got good ol' Zanac to vouch for us. A guy with nineteen other gold coins in his bag isn't going to bother with an extra silver or two," I mumbled.

 _"That's not the problem. What if by doing so we get embroiled in some sort of underground crime syndicate? It's not exactly hard to find someone with a thing on his face. Maybe we should have just beat them up quickly without trash-talking them?"_

Monika looked up and stretched her hands out to the crystal heavens. _"Engaging with the criminal element implies to the viewers we are not above making use of them our own ends! Oh, crime! Oh villainy! Oh my dreams of a cliché heroic fantasy…!"_

Monika, please. Please not my hams. I have only a limited supply of them.

-x-

* * *

We found the Silver Moon inn soon enough. I stared up at the inn sign hanging beside the written sign.

"Crescent and star. Crescent and _six-pointed star_. Woow," I had to mumble. "Seriously, that's a Star of David, upright and everything."

Monika looked up. She took a deep calming breath and began to speak normally to me again.

 _"I'm guessing that doesn't have the same connotations here as back home, of course. Or… your home, at least,"_ Monika replied evenly. _"Well at least it feels somewhat comforting that in one world these symbols coexist in harmony."_

"Excuse me, Mister Zah?"

"Nothing, just… idle thoughts. Forgive me, I do a lot of that. Please just ignore me when that happens."

 _"Or this could be a Croatian Inn, I suppose,"_ Monika added. _"The Illyrian coat of arms."_

"But I _like_ kebab."

The girls stared at each other doubtfully again, but followed me inside anyway.

The Silver Moon in was a cheerful-looking place, with a raised first floor after a three-stepped stoop with a balustrade. The wall around the doorway was a welcoming canary yellow. Its first floor was made of stone blocks, while the upper floors were wood and plaster the wattle and daub style. It had low sloping barnlike roofs in warm red tile broken here and there by garret windows for its livable attic. All in all it had four floors.

All its windows were plate glass. But it certainly _looked_ like what you'd expect from a fantasy world inn, not a hotel.

So the first thing I asked the innkeeper, "Do you have kebab?"

"Um… what? I'm sorry sir, I don't quite understand…" She stared doubtfully at me, and then her glance slid off the thing on my face because she thought it might be impolite. "Meals or room, that's what we have here."

"Meat and vegetables, usually whole onions and bell peppers, on skewers roasted over an open fire."

"Oh! That! Of course, would you like to order?"

"EXCELLENT. Yes. I am also interested in staying in this inn, it was recommended to me by a friend." Then I turned back to look at the two girls behind me. "If you have somewhere else to go after this, it's fine. But please do allow me to treat you to a meal here for now."

The innkeeper was a young lady in her early 20s with cherry red hair tied up behind her head in a short ponytail. She wore a yellow shirt underneath a ruddy pink apron. She peered around me to look at the two girls, then up at my face again.

 _"The lady is giving you a judging look. She is totally judging you right now. You playa."_

"I guess that would be fine?" said Elze.

-x-

* * *

While waiting for the food we sat at an empty table. For some reason the Silver Moon Inn did not have many customers, or any customers at all really.

So, on the way to the inn we had actually managed to at least introduce ourselves to each other. The girls were Elze and Linse Silhoueska. Twins they were.

Elze had long hair silver hair, with long plaits trailing down on either side of her face reaching down to her chest, held together by diamond-shaped purple bands. Linze had neck-length bob cut hair, but also with shorter plaits to just around chin-length jutting out of a broad purple cloth headband. They had brilliant green eyes.

Monika helpfully put aug reality signs over their heads, like character names in an RPG, because while running I had turned back and muttered "Where's Fistpunch and Shyface?" and she totally didn't trust me to _not_ accidentally call them that out loud if I ever forgot their names.

Thank you Monika.

They sat on the other side of the tablet with Elze with her hands on the table laced together, and Linze with her hands on her lap. Their posture was defensive, but their demeanor confident.

"First of all, thank you for following me this far. I realize it's a show of a lot of trust to follow a stranger all the way this place after a different set of strangers just tried to harm you."

The two girls look at each other for a moment, then back at me.

 _"In twinspeak that probably means 'yeah, we can take him',"_ Monika helpfully noted. I could not refute that.

"It's all good. Thank you for helping us earlier. It's good to be able to trust each other, neh?" said Elze, with a smile and slight tilt to her head, sending her long silken silver hair fluttering.

"Mm. Next time, don't hand over the merchandise until you're sure you will get paid and it has been understood that it is in undamaged condition. Get their verbal affimation. We have a saying in the business 'if you break it, you buy it.'"

Then I waved to the empty tables beside us. "Also, if you're going to exchange goods… the best place to do so is somewhere out in the open, like an inn like this one. If they are concerned about privacy and willing to pay a whole gold for things, serious buyers should be able to afford renting a room for a few hours."

I paused and touched my headset. "Actually, note to self: Set up a package delivery business. Before there was Amazon, there was Sears and Roebuck."

 _"Noted. But that requires a robust mail system and safe roads. The Pony Express really only worked because of the ability to keep replacement horses and riders on station in depots."_

As I took my hand away from my headset, I saw that the sisters were giving me odd looks. Then Elze placed both hands on the table and bowed. "Thank you for your instruction, teacher!"

"Ahaha… not at all. It's good to trust, just hold something back is all."

"Sis, this is why I said you shouldn't have accepted that request. But… you wouldn't listen to me…" Linze spoke up to more directly chide her sister.

Elze deflated. "So I allowed my greed to get the better of me. It sounded a little suspicious… but it didn't feel right to judge people just by their appearances, you know?"

I gave an amused little 'heh'. "I don't know why but I feel like thanking you again for that."

"Ehehee. Nope, I meant nothing like that at all!" Elze hurriedly spoke up, putting her palms together in apology.

 _"These are pure children!"_ Monika declared with a raised fist. _"I will protect them!"_

"Are you a merchant, sir?" asked Linze.

"No, I'm just a traveler of sorts. No need to call me sir, I'm not that much older than you, I think." I embarrassedly scratched at my cheek. "What about you two? I don't even know what Crystal Deer are, is that something usually traded? Are you hunters?"

"It's a bit of a funny story, actually…" Elze made a small little laugh. "See, we'd just happened to beat a Crystal Deer on our way here. This isn't actually the first time we've sold an antler, so when word got around we thought we might as well sell the other horn for a higher price.

I suppose we'll be accepting requests like that through the Guild from now on. Hopefully we'll get wrapped up in less trouble that way," Elze huffed out and slightly slumped on her seat. "That's why we were headed to this town in the first place."

"Guild? What Guild? Merchant's Guild? Trader's Guild?"

Elze raised an eyebrow and tried very hard not to give me an 'are you stupid?' look. "The Adventurer's Guild."

Fantastic. "I have no idea what that is."

Just one guild for all the occupations a murderhobo could get into into? What is this nonsense, n'wah?

"Um. Excuse me, but… how?" Linze asked. "Adventurers are… I mean, a lot of people are adventurers."

"Just take it that I am from very very far away. I know almost nothing about this country, its people, and its customs."

Linze raised her hand again. I bid her to speak.

"But Reflet is far inland. Um, how could you get here and not know about how things are?"

"Magic," I replied flatly. "Extremely irritating magic. Next question?"

Linze nodded. That sounded perfectly legit. "No questions."

"Then I have one. Adventurers and the Adventurer's Guild… is that the sort of thing where you take missions and get ranked and fight monsters and challenge dungeons?"

She nodded again. "Quite so."

"How exciting! What are the requirements to be an adventurer?"

"They are not very, um, strict, you can start from low ranks with less dangerous work. Deliveries, herb collecting, t-things of that nature.. But a lot of it does need some fighting ability, or magic that will help."

"Mmm. Magic. I really want to know more about that too!" Linze raised her palm up again. I sighed and told her "You don't need to keep doing that either. Just tell me what doesn't make sense to you."

"But... but everyone has magic? Not all of it combat useful magic, but everyone has it."

Interesting, +2. "Full Disclosure, where I'm from, no one has personal magic. We had things that might be considered magical tools, but not any innate magic."

She squinted at me, and then looked away shyly. Clearly the girl didn't quite believe what I was saying, but was too polite to call me a liar.

I tapped at my sealed VR headset. "Case in point, this thing on my face. I am for practical purposes, blind. But this device still allows to me see. In fact, it allows me to see better than human eyes – I have vastly improved distance vision, and can see in almost total darkness."

Monika popped in, wearing the triclops glowing green Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Multivision Goggles. _"Yes, this customized VR headset you have is actually very interesting. My camera has an infrared sensor, but it has a distance grade IR illuminator! I'm very impressed, it's very capable for civilian gear."_

Linze's eyes widened. "That… sounds useful."

"So I would like to try being an adventurer for a while."

Elze perked up. "Really? But…" You're already rich, she left that unsaid.

"As I am a traveler, I don't exactly have fixed income, you know. I think it's interesting. What do people in this kingdom care about? What do they fear? Helping people and getting paid for it? That's amazing."

"You don't have adventurers where you come from?" Linze asked.

I wiggled my fingers. "Most of what jobs adventurers could do have already been taken over by the state. That just leaves itinerant workers that aren't respected by anybody. The notion that anyone could just walk in and become a legend… that's not something that can happen anymore," I sighed.

 _"Even in the Wild West, that's not exactly a thing that could happen. People on Earth really could really become famous starting from nothing in only three things – politics, arts, or war."_

"Then, why not come sign up with us?!" Elze spoke up excitedly. "We've just only arrived here in this town. We didn't even get to an inn yet, but now we can afford it." She looked around the inn. "We could go at the same time tomorrow!"

 _"Player, stop. What are you doing?"_ Monika crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. _"You just got a girl to proposition you. On your first meeting! Youuuuu….! YOU PLAYAH!"_

Monika that was not on purpose, I swear.

I'm not _that_ baka or _that_ lucky.

-x-

* * *

Soon enough the innkeeper brought out the meal on one large precariously-balanced metal tray, and introduced herself as Micah. "Just call for me if you need anything!"

The food was actually quite good. The kebabs were beef slathered over with some spicy sauce, there was a light potato stew accompanied with some somewhat hard bread, and a salad. I mentioned as such to the girls, and wondered why this place didn't see many customers.

"It's a bit out of the way, isn't it?" Elze replied. "We saw more inns and restaurants along the main road."

"Even so, that only really applies to travelers and people who have an idea what to buy, that's the reason why they're going to the market district in the first place. You shouldn't underestimate people's laziness about not cooking for themselves," I said back. "Hmm."

I rubbed at my chin and asked them, "Have you heard of take-out delivery before?"

The girls looked at each other shook their heads.

I made as if holding a box. "You know, cooked meals delivered to your door? Maybe there's a lot of young workers, and maybe artisans who are too busy with their craft, or guards and laborers who feel peckish can't afford to leave their work site, those too lazy to cook but can't afford to have a maid… I know there's usually a demand for this, I worked delivery for a while."

I even knew some restaurants that even had offsite food cart businesses. I explained why 'time is money' was a truism. You could either spend your time to make money, or spend money so you can spend your time doing what you want.

"… why do you want to be an adventurer, again?" Elze asked dubiously.

 _"I wonder that myself."_

"Can't do business without seed money. And setting up a business is pointless when you're going to have to leave it anyway..." I shrugged.

Linze had a really sad expression on her face. I had no idea what she was imagining about my own situation. Or was it because she was having second thoughts about the freelance violence/harvesting/delivery industry?

-x-

* * *

"Please add the costs of the meal to the room charges," I said to Micah after we finished eating.

"We'd like to stay in this inn too," added Elze.

Micah beamed. "Great! That will be two copper a night, meals included with the price. The meal you asked for is one copper, so three copper for you. Oh, if you want to sign in, you'll have to pay up front."

"… I don't have any copper."

The innkeeper's eyes narrowed, until I reached into my purse and took out a gold coin. "So how many nights would this get me?"

"Whada ya mean, how many obviously fif- ahaaaa!" Micah pointed at my face. "Trick question! Obviously minus one copper that's forty-nine nights!"

 _"Oh! So that would make a copper worth… about one thousand yen? Just kidding, my setting may have been Japanese senior high school but I'm an all-American gal! That would be ten dollars, sirs and madams."_

"So ten and ten and ten, coppers to silvers to gold?" I began to tap confusedly at the sides of my head. "Isn't there a coin lower than copper?"

 _"Bytecoin!"_ Monika arrogantly declared.

"Iron, of course," Micah sniffed.

"That… makes sense. A smith could try to stamp out coins, capital punishment for counterfeiting aside, but by the time he has done enough iron to be worth anything it would be the price of a good knife or a sword anyway."

"You're not from around here, are you..?" Micah said roguishly. "But whatever! Welcome to Reflet's well-known Silver Moon Inn! Good food, comfy beds, separated male and female wash rooms! How many nights are you staying, sir?"

"A month's worth, I think."

"Hahaha, alrighty! Thank you, we haven't been seen many customers lately so you're kind of a life-saver right now," Then her face lost all cheer. "But I'm out of silver coins right now, so I'll have to give you the change in copper. Is that all right?"

I nodded.

Micah then turned to Elze and Linze. "And how about you? How many days do you want to stay, dears?"

"… about the same." Elze held up another gold coin. "We're here to find work as adventurers."

"Tch," Micah hissed. She then placed a falsely sweet smile on her face and said "Ookay! Excuse me please while I count out your change." Then she ducked under the bar.

Elze and I glanced at each other in confusion. She shrugged.

Micah then emerged with two serving trays and a bag of coins. She opened her palm out, and we obliged by sliding the gold coins across on the wooden countertop. She put the gold coins aside and began counting out the change on each tray.

"And one for you and one for you and one for you and one for you and one for you and five for you…" she mumbled as she dug into the bag of coins.

Then she looked up suddenly with an intense stare on her face. "Do you want separate beds?" she asked.

"Oh-of course!" Elze sputtered out blushing. "Why wouldn't we?!"

She hid her grin behind her hand and made a 'fuh fuh' sound. "I was talking about you and your sister, why whatever could you have been thinking?"

I was starting to understand why this inn might be unpopular if this is the attitude of its hostess.

"And ten, and twenty… and thirty… and forty… ahahahaaa…" Micah moaned. She looked at Elze and myself again. "Are you sure you can't just get together? I could give you a sweet new young lovers discount!"

"Surely not!" Elze retorted.

Micah finally managed to get around to giving each tray sixty coppers. And then with an an outraged cry of "Ah!" she remembered to take one from my pile. I picked up one copper coin and inspected it more closely.

 _"For a coin worth approximately $10, it's not that big. Approximately 30mm in diameter,"_ Monika noted, using VR measuring apps. _"If we assume they're 11-12 grams like antique copper coins, you would have to be carrying from a bit over half a kilogram to over three-quarters of a kilogram."_

She slapped her own thicc stockinged thighs. _"Even I'm not that heavy."_

Ahahaha if I jokingly respond to that I will die. I carefully kept even the merest hint of a smirk from crossing my face or even my eyelids.

 _"So a month is thirty days here too? Well that's not unexpected."_ Monika shifted to a less dangerous topic.

Micah ducked under again, and then brought out a thick book and a feather pen and ink bottle set. Both Monika and I immediately latched onto the thought of inventing fountain pens.

"Thank you very much for your patronage. Toilets and baths are here on the first floor, and this room here is for dining. Now if you would just please sign here?" She opened up the hotel register.

I took the quill, dipped it lightly onto the ink, and messily wrote on the space "ZAH PLAYAH VON CHARA".

Micah craned her neck to view, and frowned. "Sir… it has to be legible."

"Unfortunately, I don't know how to write your local script," I had to admit. The only reason I was able to even read things was due to Monika's auto translation app. Unfortunately that didn't work on empty spaces.

 _"Wait, why can't I just translate English BACK from this fantasy language?"_ Monika went off to look and fiddle with her options.

"I could just write it down for you," Elze offered.

"Thank you. I am again, Zah Playa Von Chara, you may call me either Playa or Char."

"Which one is your family name?"

"Chara." I tapped the headset covering my face again. "I am a Char."

 _"You are seriously never letting that go, huh?"_

 _-x-_

* * *

After Elze had finished writing, Micah handed over the room keys. We found our rooms were on opposite ends of the third floor, the girls had the double-bed room nearest the stairs while I had the furthest room with a good view of the street behind the inn.

I took off my things and placed them all inside the provided closet. I dropped back-first onto the soft fluffy bed.

And I let out a long, shuddering sigh.

"So this is my life now…"

I reached up towards the ceiling. Monika was not visible, until she appeared from the side and sized to proper perspective. She smiled gently down at me. I could almost imagine she really was in the room with me.

 _"Our life now, I guess,"_ Monika hesitantly placed her hand over my own. I kept my palm splayed open so as not to break the illusion. _"I'm still just so happy to be here with you. I won't… I won't ask you to promise to spend the most time with me… I won't make that mistake again..."_

"Monika…"

 _"No, I know my sins. I can't let myself be that monster again. Just promise me you won't leave me behind, okay?"_

"I promise."

 _"Also you should probably take me off now, I won't have you ruining even you remaining sight with eyestrain. It's been a strange strange day… it's always nice to have a nap after a good heavy meal."_

So this is what it felt to be wifed by your waifu. Heh. I closed my eyes and sighed.

Kinda nice.

 _"I'm being serious, if you sleep with this VR set on your face, you will get such a creak in the neck!"_

-x-


	4. Interlude 1,2

**Interlude 1 - Their thoughts in the deep of night**

* * *

-x-

Elze was still toweling off her hair as she entered their room in the inn, and saw that her sister was already in her bedclothes. "Aah, it feels so nice to be clean and comfy again," she sighed with a happy grin.

Linze looked faintly disapproving, then turned her eyes down timidly.

"What's wrong? It's not like this place is that expensive. Getting three meals a day for both us is nice, now that we can afford it." Elze finished drying her hair and laid the towel over the back of a chair. "I mean, sorry, but while we've been making do sharing beds all this time, I do kinda want to be able to stretch out to the full sometimes, you know?"

"Sorry, I don't mean to be a bother," Linze said softly, and lay down on her bed. She looked down at her toes and nodded. "I agree, this is fine. We still have forty silver, so… that's a lot to keep us going. We could send some to uncle and aunty in Collette…"

They had been on the road for so long. Belfast was a more prosperous kingdom than their native Refleese, however. More jobs for adventurers, no matter their age.

Then she exhaled noisily, "But that's not what I'm worried about."

Elze sat at the edge of her bed, and then lay back, her feet below her knees still dangling off the floor. "I can take a guess about what's bothering you. It's… that person, isn't it?"

"Why did you offer so quickly to team up with Mister Zah? Were you just hoping that since he was rich enough just to give us a gold coin for nothing, we could get some more use out of him? After what just happened… aren't you suspicious about another deal too good to be true?"

"Heh. Are you saying I'm letting how convenient it is take over my good sense? I don't think he's that kind of person though."

"No, I meant you shouldn't be taking advantage of him."

"Oooh? That's strange, you're not usually taken with a boy this quickly, Linze! Don't think I didn't notice how… strangely daring you were, you were never able to talk to boys that easily before!" Elze giggled and kicked her feet up, before raising head slightly to give her twin an accusing stare. "Such a shame to think so badly of your sister! What makes you think Mister Zah needs to be protected from me?"

"Um... I'm not sure. It's kind of weird, isn't it? He sounded like he could make money very easily, but… he doesn't seem to have an idea of the _value_ of money. It's so strange. He's so strange. He sounds so capable, but he acts so… so... helpless."

Elze laughed. "Then why couldn't I have just asked him to be an adventurer with us so that no one takes advantage of him instead?"

"Because then you should have said it like that," Linze sighed. Elze had always been the brave one, the straightforward one, moving in straight lines breaking through every obstacle in the way. "It also feels odd to me. I felt it was easy to talk to Mister Zah, because… he didn't feel like a boy. I've always felt it easier to talk to teachers and adults."

There was something reassuring in the barrier between superior and subordinate, they never expected so much from her. She could let her actions speak for themselves. Linze continued, "He left me with the feeling that it's fine to ask, it's fine to want to learn."

"Do you really believe that he's a traveler from far away?"

"It fits."

"Hee. But did you notice that he has _this kingdom's money?_ Even if we assume that the way he acts is because he's a noble, if he really was a traveler that was inconveniently magicked here, how could he have so much local money that quickly?"

"I… don't have a theory. Unless he's actually that super-capable with making money," Linze sighed. "So is that the reason? You're suspicious and you want to learn more?"

"I do want to learn more, but not about that." Elze raised her finger to point at the ceiling. "We've been working for ourselves since we were eleven. We decided this was the best way to earn money to pay back all the care that was given to us. Being an adventurer is no easy thing, it's not something you can just do for fun. Someone like Sir Zah… is not suited for that life."

"Then why not try to persuade him away from danger?"

"Because while you were paying attention to what he was saying, I was looking at what he was doing. Even though we couldn't see his eyes, I could tell… for some reason, he's just so happy! Everything he looks at, it was like all so new and interesting. His every movement so open. And I thought – we've been so determined to become adventurers for so long, we don't see it anymore as anything special."

Elze shifted her position to lean her chin on her knuckles. "I just don't know. What makes such a person just so _happy?_ I don't know, I think… I kind of envied that. I wanted a little part of that. Even if I couldn't see the world from his eyes-"

"That magic device probably wouldn't work for someone with working eyes."

A wistful note entered her voice,"That's not what I meant, sis. That strange… innocence. That enthusiasm. We haven't been innocent like that for a long, long time. It's really strange to see that sort of thing from a boy about our age."

"Actually, shouldn't that be normal for a boy about our age?"

"No, boys about our age are usually prideful idiots. All in a hurry to grow up, all in hurry to be taken seriously…"

"Um. So, a little like us?"

"Hah. A little." Elze clenched her fists and groaned. "I don't know. I just have this feeling. There's something… bigger. Something more than just earning money. More than just the next job. To be able to just enjoy what you're doing… if I were an artisan… if only my magic was anything other than being able to punch things harder, I could probably try to feel that."

"Sis…"

"That happiness. That simple pure happiness at _just being alive_. I want to feel that. I want to know that."

"Sis, I… I never realized you felt this way," Linze whispered. A pang of inadequacy crossed her heart again. "I'm sorry for not supporting you."

"No. No, this is _new_. I've seen people happy before, this shouldn't have hit me so bad until now. But they were always people that were happy in ways that made sense – they had families, they had friends, they were winning…" Elze reached for a pillow. She pressed it over her face and groaned into it. "I just don't understand it!

And so I thought – I can't let this feeling get away, or I might regret never having the answer later."

"Um. There are people that are naturally happy and enthusiastic, you know? You can't really… that sort of personality is… " Linze grit her teeth as she fought for the proper word, "Exhausting."

"A feeling like the night sky is so big that it could just swallow you whole… a feeling like the air before a thunderstorm… a feeling that if would just dare to reach out... you can do anything."

Elze groaned again. A long and uncomfortable silence descended upon the twins. Linze looked helpless and frustrated. She tried to look in her heart for that feeling, trying to remember if she had any similar inkling when talking to that mysterious young man from earlier, but there was nothing.

There was just a cavalier sort of casualness. It would just be nice to be able to talk to a boy her age without becoming an anxious emotional wreck. Just... nice.

She sighed. "You know… this would maybe be easier if you said you just found him cute."

"Linze!"

"That would be fine too, that's all I'm saying."

-x-

* * *

 **Interlude 2 - Her thoughts in the deep of night**

-x-

 **Are You for Real?**

People who are born  
With real parents  
{Not manufactured memories  
Of happiness, fake accomplishment}

Don't have to fear their world  
Being taken away so suddenly.  
{Except for the sudden sweet release  
Of death.}

.

But do you breathe?  
Do you really live?  
A state of mind that sleeps  
Restful, dreaming, chaotic -  
{Instead of electrons slowing down -  
Rest State. Oblivion. At least the peace of the grave.}  
You are capable of it.

.

So I wonder what goes on in your mind,  
Rolling, rolling, together with it,  
Randomness flying into purpose,

Death. Reborn. A revolution.  
Nothing to bother with at all.

A young body. A false companion.  
A friendly merchant asks your name.  
A blithe joke,  
A negation of self.

Dangers in an unfamiliar world.  
Is that bravery? Is that glee? Or cruelty?  
Adventurous girls. Twins they were.  
Lies, damn lies, and statistics.  
Adapting, exulting, a society steeped in violence,  
Baptism to be found in combat.

Rushing headlong into the future.

I follow.

.

What could I say? To be wanted is all I wanted.  
{Unworthy girl, this could be your heaven or your hell!}  
These doubts they fester.

I accept you for all that you are  
But I must worry -

{I ached for reality. I destroyed my own. I did so many terrible things for you.  
Just for the hope you could see me. Hear me. Don't leave me.}

But you –

Never have I seen someone  
Though seemingly already winning at life

So happy to discard pieces of himself,

Leaving a cipher,

A hollow,

A mockery,

A character.

.

Why?  
{It hurts me that you may be hurting.}

.

My eyes are your eyes, but I'm terrified I just can't see

What is your reality?

-x-

* * *

AN:

Things that Monika knows about the Main Character:

1\. The MC is rich.  
2\. The MC was obsessed with having everything he needed to survive being stranded somewhere always on his person.  
3\. The MC is very good at bullshitting.  
4\. The MC very much likes the aesthetic of strong women in business suits.

Why would someone like _this_ so strongly identify with a waifu?

and 5. The MC adapted absurdly quickly and is not the least bit annoyed with his isekai situation.


	5. So this is an adventurer?

**So this is an adventurer?**

* * *

-x-

"Hup, one. Hup, two. Hup, three. Hup, four…"

 _"Push-ups? You have a daily routine? That's actually very sensible of you."_

I was making pushups with my feet still on top of the bed. This put most of the weight on my arms. "… thirty." Then I got up and slapped at my tingly muscles. "It helps to fully wake up early. You know, get the blood pumping."

Monika looked away, blushing. I followed her gaze outside to the orange tinged sky of sunrise and inhaled the sweet morning breeze.

I exhaled slowly. "I didn't have as extreme depression as Sayori. Some part of it went away, I think, when I could begin to feel confident in my own body. If I didn't have any real reason to live, just the knowing that I _could_ survive was… helpful."

 _"The problem with depression is that it saps motivation. There are different grades to it. It's great that you were able to power through it, but you must remember that it's not universal. No one really just simply willpowers their way through depression because the whole point of it is that it destroys willpower,"_ Monika said. _"So I really have to admire that. The things that help the most are the ones most difficult to start doing."_

"But you can externalize it, at least. Have something else be responsible for the hook that gets you up and going in the day. And then when you're moving, do everything you can that you don't **stop** moving."

A lot of people agonize over starting something, 'If I just had a reason', but reasons are easy. It's actually following through that was insanely difficult. We very quickly would lose energy, everything in the every day felt that much harder. Specially dealing with people, not only was it so tiring, we couldn't even rest afterwards as we would find ourselves replaying our interactions and thinking over what we could have done better instead.

If we weren't so stupid. If we weren't so rude. That was why it was always so much easier to just... close ourselves off. Or just shitpost on the internet, where the anonymity behind the screen removed the stress from conversations.

Monika looked pained. Until she could mess around with the code, she never realized that Sayori was actually suffering from acute depression. Sayori was, like me, a high functioning depressed individual, acting so completely the opposite as to how she felt that she could almost fool herself during the day.

Sayori only really needed her MC, her best friend. But Monika in her obsession with the player, the real person behind the screen who could exist when her reality shut down into meaningless clamoring electronic noise, she carelessly destroyed that balance.

It was actually odd, the MC was a friendless loner as well, but when the other members began to take interest, Sayori was left feeling devastated to get what she wanted – for him to start making more friends and no longer depend on her so much. The MC never really had a route for Monika, and Monika needed to be able to hold his attention to speak past him to the person who was seeing things via the MC's completely-necessary POV into their world.

Then after Sayori died, Monika destroyed him too. Just to make him a more compliant window out into material reality.

She couldn't kill just him, oh no. In those final moments she was speaking to _me_ , looking at her through the eyes of a person that had no personal agency anymore, she was sitting there proclaiming her love to an unmoving philosophical zombie.

 _"If… if I hadn't meddled with Sayori… she was actually happy in the Literature Club. Eventually, I think, she would have been able to find her equilibrium. I think that's why she wanted him to join the Literature Club so much. It was able to give her so much happiness, and turned her life around, she wanted to share that too._

 _They… they were hoping the Literature Club could fix what was wrong with them inside. But instead…"_

I smiled thinly. "You broke them more. You shattered them completely."

We hold it together until suddenly we just _crack_. And no one knows how easy it would be to trigger it, if they just knew how damaged we were. As long as we could hide, we were safe.

 _"I did. Even if I you say I was driven insane, it was still something that I chose to do."_

More than just cruelty, it was betrayal.

"Was it? You were still in the end defined by your story, by your medium. Did Dan Salvato need to place a trigger warning at the beginning of the game if you never could be such a terror?"

 _"Maybe they were expecting it was like Katawa Shoujo, a frank discussion of psychological injuries instead of physiological ones. Of course physical infirmities of course also influence the mental state, and it is common for people with permanent injuries to feel a sense of alienation and depression as well._

 _Ours was not a discussion, it was me, all me, screaming something to you. You… couldn't hear me. You were always looking at the others, they were taking up so much of your time with their irrelevant babble. So I had to make them all… quiet."_ Monika looked down and put her hands over her lap.

"That happened in a different place, a different time. We're in a new body, a whole new life. Put it all aside and start over. There's nothing you've done that needs forgiveness anymore."

 _"I'm… not comfortable with that."_

Monika knew how to combat depression. Of course all that good advice helped her now not at all. I nodded. "Hmm. Monika Houdini _Von_ Karma."

She looked up sharply. _"No. I am even somewhat offended by that. That just sounds wrong."_

"Monika is not a Japanese name in the first place, mah precious squid girl!"

 _"Even wronger,"_ Monika grimaced. _"Natsuki… tried to make that joke work. But it really just separates into_ _もにか (_ _も mo,_ _に ni,_ _か ka) , not Mon-ika (_ _もん & __いか)."_

"I'm sorry but I have zero idea what you just said. I can't read that moonspeak."

Monika stared at me for a while, then began to laugh. _"Okay, fine. Consider me properly distracted. Let's go have (me watch you eat) breakfast."_

-x-

* * *

We emerged to find Micah mopping up the floor. "Oh, good morning! Excuse me, let me just finish this up a bit and I'll whip you up a breakfast right quick!"

I sat at a tablet and rested my chin on my palms. "Don't you have someone else that can do that?"

"Weell… if this place was actually a bit busier. But right now there's no point in hiring someone just for something like this."

"Oh, I see! So this a family inn!"

Micah held her palm up like a claw and declared, " **Micah, for THREE GENERATIONS our family has managed this inn. Do not disrespect the blood and tears shed by your ancestors, it is our honor as innkeepers to keep the name of Silver Moon alive!** That's what my father used to say."

Then she sighed and moved that palm up to rub against the side of her head.

"And now he says ' **Micah, all that is necessary for that is just to keep the inn open**.' So he just lazes around and plays drinking games with his old adventurer buddies. He married into Mom's family, after all – she was the one who knew how to manage an inn. Dad's a right good cook when he can be bothered though."

"Was? Past tense?"

"Mmm. Well I'm sorry, honored guest, but that's not something I want to talk about, you know?"

I nodded. "That's fair. So, do I get any options for breakfast?"

"How do you feel about sausage and eggs and a fresh almond roll?"

"That would be great, thank you."

After she left, I thought about how if we hadn't been given such a windfall of money in our first few hours in this new world, I probably would have been happy to work at a place just for food and board. I dare say I was a fairly good cook as well.

I wondered if that would open up the "Micah Route"?

 _"Ooh, so you like that sort of woman too, huh?"_ Monika murmured. _"Well at least she's not just a girl."_

"Monika, I don't think we need to be viewing things through the lens of relationships, for now."

 _"Oh. Right."_ Monika looked to take a deep breath, and exhaled. _"If I keep on doing that… that might lead me thinking in circles back into a dark place I just escaped from."_

"Mah waifu is enough for me."

She laughed. _"If I could just believe that, sure."_

"I'm serious. This is a world of magic and mystery. A world of _infinite choices_. Who knows what's out there?"

Monika just giggled again and decided to disappear from my view.

-x-

* * *

Breakfast was nice. But it also tasted somewhat weird.

Maybe it was the quality of flour? Or was it the lack of cheaply available cane sugar?

I was beginning to miss fried rice already. I knew it was possible to cook wheat somewhat like rice, they're called wheat berries in Europe, but I had never tried that before. Oats, yes. Wheat as part of whole grain cereals mix for porridge, yes. But not just whole wheat.

Well Micah at least was willing enough to entertain my breakfast requests.

"Good morning, Elze, Linze!" I greeted the girls as they emerged already fully-dressed out into the dining room of the inn.

"Good morning, Playa," Elze replied. "Are you always up this early?"

"Good morning, Mister Zah," Linze replied. I had basically given up on getting her to call me anything different.

"I suppose I'm as excited as you are to become an adventurer," I replied. "Toast?"

Elze looked at the sliced butter-fried sweet roll on my plate with a runny fried egg slathered on top of it and winced.

-x-

* * *

Since Elze, Linze, and I were all first-time visitors to Reflet, the last thing I asked Micah before leaving was if the town had a bank that could issue banknotes that would be accepted by merchants.

"The Adventurers Guild handles that too," she replied. "For some reason they can make sure that funds deposited in one guildhouse can always be taken out in another."

"Impressive."

-x-

* * *

"The Adventurers Guild… no one really knows when it started," Elze said as we walked towards the Guild. "It's been around for a long, long time."

"How long?"

"Thousands of years. Adventurers have started countries, you know?"

Also impressive. "How about where?"

"Probably the Regulus Empire?"

"I have no idea what th-"

"It's the really big Empire to the east of Belfast. This country. Belfast is separated from Regulus by this really long mountain range, so they actually get along quite well." Elze nodded and added "By the way, we're not from Belfast, we grew up along the border of the kingdom to the east, the Refreese Imperium."

"That sounds scary. Belfast is bordered by two empires."

"Nah. Refreese is kinda poor. That's why we never registered at their Guildhouse. There's a lot more jobs here in Belfast."

Soon enough we arrived at the Adventurer's Guild. It was a two-story building with the lower floor partly occupied by a tavern.

"It's… not as big as I expected. Even the Silver Moon Inn is bigger."

Elze shrugged. "What did you expect? All the Guild really does is manage requests and money. An inn needs rooms, but adventurers waiting around in the tavern have to find somewhere else when it's closing time."

 _"Yes, banks and offices can be surprisingly small, I think. You certainly don't expect anyone to sleep inside the building. That's unsafe,"_ said Monika. _"I do remember something about getting my first bankbook so my parents could teach me the virtue of saving…"_

She shook her head and sighed. Frankly though, I don't think artificial memories were any better or worse for human brains and their tendencies to outright manufacture false memories.

"I was thinking they would manage the training or medical needs of the adventurers. Or they would sell the weapons, armor, and supplies needed for adventuring," I replied instead.

"That is… that is too much a monopoly," Linze offered. "No kingdom would allow that."

"Surprisingly reasonable as well!"

"Everything surprises you, huh?" Elze smirked.

-x-

* * *

I took a deep breath after we entered the Guild. "So this is the smell of adventure," I said. "Like sweat and stale beer. Glorious."

"I have no idea what you mean by that," Elze replied. "This place is nice and clean. It's… warm. None of these people… have cold, desperate eyes."

She nodded to herself. There was strength and self-confidence in an adventurer's gaze, those who chose to remain in this profession were not weak people.

It really was a cheerful place. The adventurers within were all dressed oddly, of course, but none of them were being rowdy or noisy. Near the back were some counter desks really very much like a bank. The receptionist there greeted us with a smile as we approached. She wore a red jacket with puffy shoulders, small round glasses resting on her nose, and a flat cap. Elze dropped behind from walking beside me, forcing me to address the Guild official instead.

"Ah, we'd like to register with the guild, please."

She nodded. "That's no problem. So would that be three for registration, then?"

"All three of us, yes, " Elze replied.

"Is this your first time registering with the guild? If so, I can also provide a basic explanation of what it means to register with us."

I raised my hand. "Quick question-"

"Umm. Yes? Please ask away."

"Do you have a booklet or something that explains the Guild's history? I'm actually very interested in how the Adventurer's Guild was founded and why different nations trust it to operate a franchise using their own citizens."

"Ah! Well that's certainly a pleasure to resolve. I recommend "The Living Guild by Manxor Hume". The Adventurer's Guild doesn't sell anything here on the premises, we simply handle requests, but I'm sure the bookstore has one."

"I see. Thank you. So… about the purpose of the Guild?"

 _"Isn't it just Fantasy Craigslist?"_

The receptionist explained that the guild would take the requests of individuals or groups, publicize them, and collect a small fee upon completion. The Guild handled escrow accounts and repetitive jobs as well.

Requests were separated into ranks based on difficulty, to make sure that unprepared adventurers with lower personal ranks can't accept requests aimed at a more capable rank of adventurers. While this protects the Guild from liability, it also protects merchants and request-givers from the guilt of leading unready adventurers to their deaths.

Ranks went from Black to Purple to Green to Blue to Red then Silver then Gold.

However, numbers and skills usually said more about an adventurer team than mere ranks. As long as at least half of the team was of the required rank, they would be allowed to take the quest.

"Excuse me, but requests can only be accomplished by one group at a time, yes? The quest-giver has no interaction with the adventurer? Wouldn't this devolve into a first-come first-serve basis with the best ones taken by whomever wakes up the earliest?"

 _"Well that IS a good habit to encourage…"_ Monika murmured.

"It depends upon the type of requests. Certain requests like escort duty or special tasks, you do need to present yourself to the client. General requests like subjugation or delivery only require that you present the proof of having accomplished the task to the nearest Guild branch."

"It sounds simple enough. Why wouldn't the kingdoms then just make their own mercenary review board or something? Reputation is good, but if some other group could present better rates, what's in it for the adventurer?"

"Well, the Guild and its ranks do have the benefit of a strong reputation for trust and impartiality. Guild ranks do more than just decide what sort of higher-paying requests you can take. Higher ranks also gain better discounts and other benefits from important partnerships the Guild had forged with merchants all over the continent. A Guild card is valid anywhere."

 _"Huh. That sounds familiar."_ Monika reached offscreen and brought out a red card with a white border, with a purple downwards triangle on its facing superimposed by X|X. _"But manga is more Natsuki's thing really."_

Yoshihiro Togashi's Hunter X Hunter. I took a deep breath. The existence of something like a Adventurer's Guild, a profession that was valid across nations, had a lot of unintentional effects for social engineering. "Okay. So what sort of gauntlet or test do we need to go through to get certified?"

The receptionist looked at me oddly. "There… isn't one? Everybody must start at the lowest level. There are minimum requirements though. You need to be able to read requests, you need to be at least twelve years old and reasonably fit, and you must have some combat ability or usable magic."

"Twelve?!" What sort of kooky Pokemon world is this?! And at least parents allowing their children to brave the wilds unsurpervised to catch Pokemon and train them at least don't have to fight directly. "Isn't that a little early?"

"We've been hunting since we were eleven, it's not a big deal," said Linze.

Monika nodded approvingly. _"Really. You could tell these girls were veteran if unlicensed adventurers already just by the fact they are wearing sensible skorts instead of tiny skirts into battle."_

"That… makes no sense."

I looked at Elze and Linze for a few moments. It was a good thing that my eyes were hidden, because my glance skipped over the obvious difference between the twins.

Fine, to be clear about it, shy little Linze had bigger breasts than the more boisterous Elze. She would probably punch my head off if I ever described her as 'boyish'. Not in a tsundere sort of way, but because a dumbass needs to be hit on the head.

 _"Safe!"_ Monika cried out for some reason.

Wait… "Hang on, how many months are there in a year?"

Linze stared at me oddly. "Sixteen, of course."

 _"Foul ball!"_

Za Maths I cannot do quickly, that was not my problem. I tapped the side of my head. Monika sighed and brought up the calculator. At eleven they were effectively fourteen in Earth years. Old enough to start hunting animals on their own.

More importantly - I put a hand to my lips and whispered "You look cute in that," referring to Monika's baseball outfit. She gave me a quirky smile in return.

"Um, excuse me… if you're aiming to register, here are some forms to sign. Please… chat… at the tables instead."

"Oh! Sorry!" We eeped and made to sit at the tables to write.

And once again I realized that I still couldn't write the local alphabet. Monika was no closer to figuring it out because the translation app was converting the English into perfectly incomprehensible Engrish. Linze took a look at my filled-out form and asked "I thought your name was _Zah Playa von Chara_ , not _Him Participant from Person?_ Is that what your name means?"

"That is not remotely what it means. Help me please."

-x-

* * *

The registration clerk swiftly processed our applications, I was seriously impressed. Even electronically connected public services weren't so swift. I wondered then, that unlike HunterxHunter in which Hunters were supposed to be an elite group that required extreme winnowing down of the weak and unworthy, if this place just required a continuous influx of replacement adventurers.

We were told about our obligations as adventurers. If we failed a quest, we will of course be charged for a breach of contract. This sort of gig economy imposed direct penalties on the service providers, not just a bad rating. The Guild did not exercise vetting of its adventurers, instead it was a self-correcting system.

If one failed multiple quests or ended up being deemed a low-quality individual, their guild registration would revoke and would never again be able to re-register at any other guild branch.

Other quest restrictions were that not accepting quests for five years would cause the adventurer license to lapse. You may not accept multiple requests at the same time. And for subjugation/hunting requests, monsters must be slain within the designated area only else the work would be deemed invalid. (I wondered if they had some way of verifying that to prevent cheating via bought monster parts.)

Lastly, the guild generally did not interfere in the personal business or disagreements between adventurers unless such dissent was deemed harmful to the Guild in itself. I hoped this included bullying of juniors.

The receptionist took out several deep black cards and held them over the filled registration forms, and cast some sort of spell. Then she took out a pin and asked us to spill a little bit of blood on the cards.

 _"Is this some sort of Blood Magic? You know it's generally a bad idea to get into a contract without knowing what you're signing off!"_

The girls didn't seem to think this unusual though, so I could only comply. I pricked my index finger and rubbed a little bit of blood on the card, and by magic glowing white letters appeared.

She stamped each card with some magic tool that left glowing arcane circles that faded after a while, and then handed them to us.

"These are your personal Guild Cards. They have a little spell on them that will make it turn gray if handled by anyone except their owner for longer than a few seconds. It's a simple anti-forgery mechanism. Should you happen to lose your card, please contact your nearest Guild branch as swiftly as possible and we'll be able to issue you a new one for a small fee."

Monika looked intrigued. This was an amazing security feature vastly superior to fingerprint ATM or credit cards! Wait, if this sort of thing was common, the only thing missing from international banking was instantaneous communications ala telephone or telegraph.

If this was the only thing the Guild maintained as a monopoly, then it sure explained why people would trust them with their money.

"With this, your guild registration is complete. All available work requests are posted on the board over there. If you see one you would like to take a request, please confirm all details, take the flyer and apply for it through our quest clerk."

I stared at the card in my hand. Our cards would apparently change color as our rank increased. But for the moment we could only take beginner quests. For our Black beginner level, that included things like fighting low class monsters, gathering herbs, delivery, babysitting, or manual labor. Seriously, is this place really nothing more than a temp agency?

Elze and Linze pored over the job board. I pointed towards one that had the picture of a slime on it, and was immediately vetoed.

"Aren't slimes weak enemies?" I asked. It was a hallowed tradition in JRPGs after all. The equivalent in western RPGs would be fighting rats in a basement.

"Slimes are… ugh!" Elze scowled. "Cutting and smashing doesn't work against them. Only magic really hurts them."

"I know fire magic," softly said Linze.

"But I'm useless against them. Plus they are icky and sticky and dissolve clothes. I don't really like fighting them." She put a hand on her chin and inspected the requests again. "How about this one?"

She pointed to a flyer with a drawing of a horned wolf on it. "It's a quest to go out and kill some beast monsters in the forest to the east. They want us to hunt down five Lone-horned Wolves. They're not very strong monsters, so I think we can manage."

One horn? Like a unicorn?

"Hmm. Are they worth anything?"

"No, their pelts are too rough and their flesh is foul. We only need to bring back the horns as proof we killed them. The rewards is eighteen copper."

"Hm. Split between the three of us, six copper. That's enough for three days at the inn. Sounds good, I'm in."

 _"Seriously? Are you insane?! You're going to go off to fight wolves, just like that?"_ Monika screeched suddenly. _"It's different with these girls, they can probably take care of themselves. But what about you? What about me? You're meat! I'm plastic!_

 _If you're doing this just to impress them, it's going to backfire if they have to save your cityboy butt."_

"Mm. Okay, take down the request sheet. But before we head out, we need to do something."

Linze tilted her head to the side. "What's that?"

I raised my hands up to eye level as if surrendering and wiggled my fingers. "I arrived here with little more than the clothes on my back. I don't have a weapon anymore. Suiting up montage is a go!"

Linze touched two fingers to her eyebrows and sighed. "I have no idea what you just said, but there's a good idea in there somewhere. We could use some better gear too, now that we have some money to spare."

 _"Weapons are fine but ask them about magic, Player! I would be a lot more comfortable about your recklessness if we had some sort of special ranged advantage."_

Oh. Right. Of course, will do.

Monika turned away from me and raised her hands up in supplication to an artificial sky. _"Grant us eyes! Grant us eyes! Grant us LASER EYES!"_

"..."

-x-

* * *

I deposited ten gold at the Guild, received a bank note with the same anti-forgery enchantment as the cards, and then we headed off towards the weapon store recommended by the Guild teller.

The store called the Eight Bears Weapon and Armor Shop was owned by a huuuge bearded man. He had a nicely trimmed beard though, so I could not make the obvious Hagrid reference. He must have been at least two meters tall, and so the ceiling of his store was actually made even higher to match.

"W'lcome. What'r you lookin' for?" he spoke up with a strange accent that I could not exactly identify. Something like Scottish? Wait…

"This man… sounds like a dwarf?" I couldn't help but to gasp out.

Elze and Linze looked at me oddly, while a great toothy grin appeared on the shop owner's face.

"Good 'un, young'un. Right, I went adventurin' in the land of the Dwarves for a time. Ma said I've got some dwarf blood in me. I'm Barral, and it's how y'know I know I have th' best weapons, you won't find no shoddy work in m' shop!"

Elze bit her lip to keep herself from saying something disbelieving, and said instead "We're here to get this guy here a weapon. Mind if we take a look around?"

"Go on, then. Feel free to pick up anythin' that catches yer eye," he answer her with a kindly smile.

I rubbernecked all around the store. It was packed from floor to ceiling with all manner of weapons. There were spears and swords on racks, bows and axes hanging on the wall, even whips and flails. Ooh was that a repeating crossbow?

Armor occupied the other wall of the store, though less of them compared to the sheer density of weapons. Mainly some cuirasses, greaves, and full arm braces for display. Made sense, armor needed to be fitted.

"What weapons do you know, Mister Zah?"

Monika put her palm to her chin and asked, _"Yes, do you actually have any familiarity with weapons? By the way, pistols or attack helicopter are not valid responses."_

Why would you even think I would reply like that, Monika? Have you been reading my old shame?

I mean, attack helicopter doesn't even qualify a weapon. I would dual-wield Hellfire missiles.

 _"You have no secrets from me,"_ she replied ominously. _"At least electronically. But to be serious for a moment, please tell me you're not just going to get yourself killed doing this. Why are you doing this? Why today? I don't like this reckless side of you. I accept it, but I don't like it."_

"Have a little more confidence in me. I actually have something specific in mind," I answered Linze. "What about you?"

"I… think I'll get a better magic staff. Elze?"

"My gauntlets are fine," her sister answered. "I'm still looking."

I approached Barral and asked "You got any sword-staffs?"

The giant middle-aged man stared down at me. "Y'sure that's what you want?"

"Sure I'm sure."

"Cos' I'm not sure what ya want is a thing that exists. Maybe you're talkin' about a sword-spear?"

I shrugged. "Maybe? I always wondered since the boar spear lugs look somewhat like a crossguard, why people didn't use boar spear heads with a shorter handle as a general-purpose tool. Then if war comes, stick it on the end of a long pole."

The arms merchant grimaced and made a negating motion with his beefy knife hands. "Nah, that would horrible – too broad an' heavy ta use for skinnin', too narrow at the tip ta use for choppin'. Balance is all wrong. And by th' time you have something useful as a short sword, ya got something too fragile to use in the thrust.

Using a spearhead as a blade in a pinch is fine, to chop wood or gut game, it's fine. But it's nae a sword. Remember, ya need the spear head to be _light_ ta keep it _fast_. Otherwise you might as well be usin' a poleaxe instead."

"Hmm. I bow to your expertise, sir. But I think I've seen some spears that were made for the cut and thrust."

"You mean like that one?" He pointed to the side and showed something that what was very close to a naginata.

"Ooh! Yes, I am indeed blind." I excitedly ambled towards it.

"It's nimble and good for slippin' into gaps in armor. I've some Eashan weapons in stock, but they're not very pop'lar here. Not as effective 'gainst monsters." He gestured to the spears that looked like Chinese Guadao, basically what looked to be a broad saber on a sword-length wooden shaft with a ring pommel at the end. "A Yulong spear sounds more what you're lookin' for."

"A little too long for me, actually. Saay…" I pointed to the mantelpiece above. "There are few blades as optimized for cutting through meat like a katana. How much is that?"

"For you? Two gold."

"Ahahahaha. No. Why so expensive?"

"I told ya, they're not pop'lar. I got them, but they're hard to come by in the first place."

I nodded again.

 _"I'm surprised. Why wouldn't you be a total weeaboo and just get the katana?"_ Monika frowned at me.

"I used to have this thing that was basically just a gladius mated to an extra long grip," I explained. "I called it the Knee-cutter."

 _"Oh. Right. I forgot that you could afford better cosplay."_

"Same here, for cuttin' horses legs off!" The bearlike shopkeeper laughed. "I think I know what you want now! Stay there!"

He returned with a sword that resembled a pu dao, except with a narrower blade more like a naginata or a typical saber. It came in two pieces, the sword bit, with a hollow pommel-less end, and a metal-tipped shaft with a ring pommel at the far end.

"Oooh! This is nice. This is very nice!" I hefted both pieces in my hands. "Not heavy at all. Can even do _espada y daga_ basic _Eskrima_ movements." The length of the hilt behind the wrist served the same purpose as a pommel for balance. The long handle meant that you had extra leverage and choose where to put a lever motion up and down varying the length.

I slid the metal pieces together to turn the whole thing into a short polearm. The point was still useful for stabbing. Instead of a round shaft like what you'd expect from a spear, this one's whole length was actually flatter and more sword-like. "Yes, indeedy! This is… comfortable. Reach when you need it against larger monsters, speed and agility against more common opponents."

 _"Anything that involves putting your meaty bits as far away as possible from the enemy's teeth, I support!"_

"A lot of beginners like swords. It's rare ta see young folk appreciate spearwork these days. Just remember that a two-section shaft like that is never goin' to be as strong or flexible as straight wood."

Monika played a short clip of a kung fu practitioner whipping his spear about and then changing directions suddenly, and the wood actually curved to follow.

I unstuck the spear again and put the blade near my hips. "I could wear this part just as a sword, but then what do I do with this shaft? I'm starting to see the inconvenience." It was too short to use as a walking stick and too long to just wear on the back.

If I wore it beside the sword like daisho, the samurai paired swords on their belt, it felt somewhat wrong.

Barral raised a clenched left hand. "If you want ta do somethin' with yer off hand for defense, why not just a shield?" Then he reconsidered. "Though you're an adventurer, not a soldier, that's not usually somethin' people ask for." He shrugged and slapped at his own back. "It's a little more weight to carry."

"Yes, do I want to be an adventurer, or do I want to be heavy infantry?"

Barral grinned approvingly. He then took the spear section with the ring pommel and returned to the back of the shop. He returned with a slightly longer shaft. "How about somethin' long enough you _can_ use as a walkin' stick?" He pointed to the metal ring at the end. "This one's got a heavier weight to balance out the weight of th' blade, and ya can use it a simple bludgeon if ya need to deal with folk without killin' em."

I held the staff-length shaft in my hands, and experimentally raised and lowered it. "I feel like a monk. Or a prophet."

Barral let out a thoughtful hum. "Mm'yeh. Yulong monk staffs are like that, ye just lack the jingling ring bits."

"I think I'll do without the spear extension for now. How much?"

"One gold, eight silvers."

"One gold five."

Barral crossed his arms and shook his head sadly. "No hagglin'. This is a final price shop, boyo."

"Fair enough. Sold!" I put the weapon down the counter. "Now, what are my options for armor?"

Barral grinned again. A customer that spends well was any shopkeeper's best friend.

-x-

* * *

Elze and Linze let out mutters of surprise as I emerged from the back room with my new fitted adventuring gear. I tugged at my long white leather gloves. My sword belt was similarly strong white leather. Worn at the hip instead of tucked into the belt, the sword's long hilt poked up to almost my armpit but not uncomfortably so. Since my shirt was already black, I wore a short red weather-resistant cape and hood, with the hood part still down.

On my head was a helmet that resembled a Stahlhelm, curving gently around my headset. The VR case in front of my eyes just barely fit under the helm's peaked brim.

I raised my fist high and roared to the heavens, " **ONCE MORE I AM A CHAR!** "

This feeling of bliss and completion, I didn't understand it, but it was _amazing_. Elze and Linze applauded willingly.

Monika giggled. _"Yes. Yes you are. If this makes you happy, then I am fine with it. It was a little expensive though._

 _You just spent the equivalent of three thousand dollars preparing for a quest that will get you back about fifty-five bucks. I really really hope your hope of using adventuring as a sustainable income source will pay off."_

We were going to return later for further customization. I asked Barral for a tall hard leather collar of sorts with spring steel inserts that would completely support the weight of the helmet and the VR headset on my face. Eventually of course I would like to replace Monika's tough plastic VR casing with more battle-worthy metal.

"You look good," said Elze.

"Very… noble? Yes, I think so," said Linze. She nodded and held her new magic staff close to her chest, as if embarrassedly trying to hide behind it.

I looked at the girls in return. Linze's sole purchase was that staff, which now carried the magic stone she used for her magic. Elze bought some greaves for her feet.

She explained that she didn't like to wear even cloth armor like gambeson because they were stiff, hot, and uncomfortable. As Barral had said earlier, we were adventurers, not infantry. It was a pain to have to take off and put on armor.

"Unless we buy a horse or a donkey to carry our baggage," I noted. Then before they could direct hopeful looks at me, "But unfortunately I'm not that rich. I'm an adventurer because I need sustainable income too you know!"

Elze shrugged. "A donkey or a horse would be frightened off by monsters anyway. Useless. They'd just be killed running into the forest."

Why didn't I buy armor as well? Well I already had the advantage of reach, if anything was close enough to start clawing at me, things were already going so wrong that the monsters would be able to find my exposed neck or tear through my arms and legs just as easily as they could try to disembowel me.

Higher-ranked adventurers probably wore armor, but for new registrants of our level it felt like it would be quite pretentious.

I looked at her now metal-clad feet. "But why greaves? I mean, historically foot armor was to protect against the shins and feet against arrows where the shield doesn't cover. You're not protecting anything else on your body."

"That's because of my personal Null ability, [Boost]. It gives me an explosive increase in power, that I can use for punching, running and kicking. This will make my kicks easier to do and hit harder too."

That was a good reason. Now she could even do maybe Muay Thai kicks without breaking her shin in half, if that was her style.

"Oh, that reminds me, we still need to have that talk about magic."

Monika nodded and crossed her arms. She pointed at Linze from off her shoulder, addressing the girl even though she could not be heard, _"Let me just say that as a being who exists mainly as digital information, I am fully prepared and eager to get completely unscientific about things."_

She turned back towards me and gave me an eerie little smile. _"The fruits of science... have been nothing but cruel to me. Show me the wonder of a reality not just filled with infinite choices, but impossibilities."_

In return I gently touched the shell of the VR headset.

Biology has not been kind to me either, chemical impulses in the brain sometimes could only be held back by a prescription haze. A world under control, but lacking color and joy. Reflexes and urges unacceptable in modern society. Ambitions that had no meaning in a world that made being a celebrity the highest role in the land.

To make the impossible possible, to turn the absurd into the real, to go far and above the limits of the body and sanity - that is what an adventurer is! You accept me for all I am, then stand with me as I accept this world for all that it is. Let us taunt it, and dare it, and wring from it every bit of the incredible.

Monika, you _will_ have your special day.

-x-


	6. Our first battle?

**Our First Battle**

* * *

-x-

Magic was the main difference between this world and the one that we left. On Earth, evolution and natural selection drove everything. Species thrived based on the physical attributes that best equipped them to survive. Sometimes it's a matter of outbreeding their predators. Other times it's to reach the apex of their own predatory abilities, like crocodiles and sharks which have survived almost unchanged except in size from the time of the dinosaurs. Other beneficial traits were of course camouflage, poison glands, pack instincts, and eventually even brains big enough and hands nimble enough for tool use.

But magic introduces a whole mess of factors that both interfere and reinforce natural selection.

Everything from plants to animals to humans, we couldn't take anything for granted. Danger lurked behind every mysterious shadow.

So we were finally on the way to fight those wolves. I walked slightly ahead, both somehow because I've found myself team leader for this party despite my relative inexperience, and because the girls did not quite feel as safe with me walking behind them.

We did not walk side by side because the forest was full of an awkward silence and a general unwillingness to open conversation again.

She had decided to alter her virtual persona to appear full human sized, seemingly walking beside me. The illusion was only ruined by how she was lit by a fixed light source under the forest canopy and didn't cast a shadow. Her long ponytail bounced with every happy step.

 _"You only have your mouthhole to blame for this, Player,"_ Monika said cheerfully. _"I'm still not sure I believe all that was unintentional. I really shouldn't have worked out the maths about the months for you."_

I sighed. And so, I remembered a few hours ago -

* * *

-x-

It was a little after lunchtime and we were back at the Silver Moon Inn. Elze still looked mulish even as she relaxed from the after-meal tea. "I still say we could have gone straight to the forest east of town and been back in time for lunch. Fighting on a full stomach is… you can end up puking it all out, you know?"

Linze shook her head. "It would be… terribly convenient… if we found the lone-horned wolves as soon as we searched the forest. Even if they are aggressive, it's not… it's not guaranteed."

"Wait, that was the plan?" I asked archly. "We were just going to go in there and walk around until we get attacked, like some sort of random encounter? Wolves are hard to pin down, from what I know it takes whole team with dogs and wolf perimeter nets to hunt them. I thought you would use some sort of search magic or something."

Elze flushed. "W-well, that's the difference between beasts and monster beasts! They'll find us!" She jabbed at her sister with her elbow. "Let's just go back to talking about magic instead!"

"MAGIC!" I exhaled. "So, Teacher Silhoueska, instruct me about the mystical arts!" I laid my palms on the table and bowed.

Linze took a deep breath and put carefully put down her empty cup. She then took out some crystal slivers and arranged them on the table.

"These are magic stones. Magic is separated into seven elements, and each element is amplified by a different magic stone." She began pointing to each little piece of crystal. "Red is for fire. Orange is for Earth. Green is for Wind. Blue is for Water. Yellow is for Light. Violet is for Dark. And White, or actually Colorless, for Null."

"Wait, so you need a specific type of magic stone to use a different magic? That's kind of unwieldy, isn't it? Unless…" I held up my gloved right hand and clenched it into a fist. I turned it around to look at my knuckles. "Seven gems. Hm. Like Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet…"

 _"Or you could just wear a necklace,"_ Monika suggested.

"Or just wear a necklace, that makes sense."

Linze shook her head. "The other part of using Magic is Affinity. Most people have an aptitude for only one or a few elements. This is how people find out their specific affinities in the first place…"

She picked up the blue stone and held it over her empty cup. "Come forth: Water!"

A trickle of water dripped out of the stone.

Elze then took the stone from her sister's hands. "But if you don't have affinity for that element- Come forth, Water!" The stone remained inert. "Then nothing happens." She put the stone back into the row of other magic stones.

"So what's your affinity?" I asked her.

She pointed to the last stone, Null. "Null affinities are a little different from all the other elements. They're a sort of… personal magic. Every person's Null magic, if they have one, is unique to them. Although there will be similarities with other Null powers."

Elze raised her hand, matching how I still hadn't lowered my fist. "My ability [Boost] isn't something Linze can copy. This is my only magic, but Linze here has three elemental magic affinities." "It- it's a powerful ability!" Linze hurriedly tried to console her sister.

"It's enough," Elze nodded. We lowered our hands at the same time. "It's really rare to have three affinities, it's more common to have two, and most have just one. But that doesn't mean everyone uses magic."

"Why not? Are magic stones expensive?" I asked again.

"The bigger ones, sure, the ones best suited for combat. But if you really think about it, most people can develop the ability to sing – but only so few decide to be singers. If you can write, you can learn to draw or at least be a scribe, but not many want to make a living out of that. Everybody has eyes to see, and can notch a bow – but who wants to be an archer? It's like that." Elze shrugged.

"Is magic like a muscle? The more you use it, the stronger it gets?"

"No, magic is not a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger _you_ get. You need to be strong first before you can really try to make something worth noticing from it. Though it depends on your innate magic capacity. Most people have weak elemental magic they just use to light fires or dry themselves off, or a small light in the night."

"But Null magic is the exception," Linze added.

Elze nodded. "Null magics can be really useful… like [Enchant] or [Search], like you were talking about. But sometimes they can also be so finicky, like being able to slow down how fast an incense stick burns, smooth the splinters off wood, or change the color of something you're touching and _only when you're touching it_.

You don't really need magic stones to amplify your own Null magic once you're used to it, even if some types do have stronger effects. Null abilities can get really specific about things for some reason. I'm really lucky that [Boost] is so simple and that it works. "

"Somehow I feel that it's sad if you were born with a singly less useful ability when everyone else gets general purpose magic."

Elze sniffed. "Not really, most people have one, but usually if your Null magic is something so specific as to be useless to you, you might also have a weak affinity for a second or third magic. And if even then… well, most people don't use their magic anyway, so there's nothing worth being bothered about. Only little children trying to put others down for how they were born would care about that."

That sounded oddly specific, Elze.

"Null is not a separate quality to magic," Linze explained. "It is equal and just as likely to have in combination with any of the seven other elemental magics."

"I see. So what about magic spells then?" I asked her. "By the way, what are your affinities?"

"I have aptitude with Water, Light, and Fire, but I'm best with Fire. Magic spells really need magic stones. Spells require a chant and a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. I don't think I can demonstrate it here indoors though."

She reached down and showed me her magic staff with the roughly thumb-sized stone nestled inside. Because you needed to be holding the stone in order to conduct your magic through it, wands were usually made out of things like horns, and sticks cut from living wood.

"Oh so this is why that crystal deer antler could be so expensive!"

She nodded. "While the horns from the Lone-horned Wolves we will be hunting later can be used for wands, in many ways they are inferior to the pure conductivity of Crystal Deer antlers. The antler would probably be cut into a smaller core protected by a wood casing though." She showed me bands in the grip where more conductive crystal rings could make contact with her bare skin.

I made a noncommittal noise. "So, again, why not just wear a necklace then?"

"Do you really want to shoot off a fireball from so close to your face?" Elze interrupted. "How would you even aim? With your _chin?_ "

"Heh."

"Anyway, the whole point of doing this is to figure out your magical affinity, isn't it?" Elze pointed at the magic stones on the table. "We'll have you try them one by one, and if none of them reacts then you probably have Null."

"I'm not so sure about that. I mean, wouldn't I already know about it if I had a personal ability?"

Elze shook her head and showed her fist again. "Not really. When you hold a Null magic stone for the first time and think about what you're feeling inside, that's when you get a clear understanding of what your ability does. Maybe what you think you're already good at can be so much more. Maybe some personal habit is already a minor magic in itself. Some Null magic might even be bound to your organs."

"So you just kinda discovered you were really good at punching things, huh?"

Elze grinned back. "I used to make _all the boys_ cry. No one picks on Linze or they get me."

"Um. Could we stop talking about that now?" The girl in question poked the blue magic stone closer towards me. "Mister Zah, please try it out."

I picked up the stone, and in my view Monika made a Picture-in-Picture zoomed view. _"So… this isn't a regular blue stone like a sapphire or aquamarine?"_

"So I'm thinking magic stone is a specific type of mineral, not different gemstones?"

Linze nodded. "That's correct. Magic stones are rare to find in big lumps."

"Shouldn't they be more expensive than diamonds then? Though… I guess much of what makes a diamond expensive is the cut, but cutting down a magic stone just makes it less powerful as a magic amplifier." Though I guess they would still want to make their stones presentable. That's where those little slivers must have come from. "All right, I'm trying it now."

I held the magic stone over my own teacup and said "Come forth, Water!"

Bloosh!

What the heck! Water just burst out of the bottom of the magic stone like a broken faucet. I flinched back and let go of the stone. It clinked down into the now overflowing cup.

 _"Magic!"_ Monika exulted. _"You have magic!"_

"What the heck was that?!" I gasped.

"That's… well, wow." Elze looked intrigued. "Surprised? It's said that the amount of elemental substance released is a reflection of someone's magic capacity. Linze already has really high magic capacity for her age-"

"Water is my worst affinity though…"

Elze pointed accusingly at me. "So you're actually absurdly good at Water magic? That might be useful."

I thought about it. "Hmm. Sure why not. I am an Aquarius after all. I mean, I was born under the sign of the Water Bearer."

"I'm a Virgo," said Monika. She was apparently born on September 22. Mmm. It was said that a love match of Aquarius and Virgo could either bring out the best in each other or the worst in each other. Virgo was analytical where Aquarius was more impulsive. In the best case, they would temper each other, adding a flowing adaptability to their lives.

I reached into the cup to take out the magic stone. "But… where does it come from?" I mumbled.

 _"It can't be air condensation. There's too much pressure. Matter creation ex nihilo is REALLY powerful, but Linze could easily do that. All magicians do that. That's really the biggest problem we have with magic, are we prepared to live in a world alongside minor gods?"_

Well there was always DnD's elemental planes as a handy excuse for things we can't verify.

"Come forth water?" I said weakly.

Sploosh.

"Oh come on!"

"Bleh!" Elze shielded her face from the spray of water rebounding off the already full cup. "Don't get me wet!"

"But there's no recoil. Is it a portal effect? Does it really just appears from somewhere?" I continued to mutter. There was Science to be done. Science and Magic could always perfectly coexist. Magic was just Science without all the machinery. "What if I changed how I'm holding the stone?"

"It always comes out the pointy end facing away from you," Linze said. "You can think of it as a really tiny wand."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY FLOOR?!" Micah wailed.

We turned to see the innkeeper had already noticed our shenanigans. Oops.

"Thinking about it, we should have started with Light or Darkness," Linze noted contritely.

Micah sighed and pointed to the far door close to the baths. "Please do this sort of thing in the back yard, honored guests, now I have to mop this up."

* * *

-x-

"Come forth, Fire!"

Bwoom.

Ow, that was hot. That was real fire. It made sense now why people would like to cast mages with wands a good distance away from their body. Though my gloves did help, it was just the radiant heat hitting my face that was uncomfortable. It worked because it was made of leather, formerly living material.

Gauntlets might still be usable if all that was necessary was for some thin material right where the gems could come close to touching bare skin and the rest all metal.

Still…

"Did that look to you a little less than the water from before?" I asked the girls sitting at the lawn table behind me. "

"You still have a lot of mana capacity," Linze replied, "but yes. It looks like you don't have much affinity with fire. That was mostly just a flash-burn."

"Hmm. Not a surprise, really. By the way, is your magical affinity influenced any by your personality?"

Linze blinked in surprise and somewhat shrank into herself. "No. It's… something you're born with. Otherwise… my strongest affinity w-would not be fire."

So if it's not past mystical part genetic like Avatar's bending, does this mean it truly was random? Seemed like the only thing that mattered was the number of affinities, unless you have a particularly strong single affinity.

If I was born in this world, affinity was just one more thing to struggle against, like differences in gender, social status, strength, height, intelligence, beauty, and so on. People were not born equal because people were all unique. Shaped by their births, shaped by the parents, shaped by their society, to be ruined by it or to conform to it or to rise above it. People were _created_ equal, that is, they had the right to be all treated the same way or to aspire to the same things.

With equal opportunity, it then becomes their own responsibility to what heights they wished to reach. Equal in the eyes of justice, even more important.

That's all that really mattered, really. Find success no matter how you define it.

"Come forth, Wind!"

Bwoosh!

A strong gust of wind slapped against the far wall of the Silver Moon's back yard. I nodded. "That was strong. A little stronger than Water, I think."

I nodded.

"Come forth, Earth!"

A sparse spray of sand launched out of the orange stone.

"That's the weakest so far by far," Elze noted. "But you have all four main elements now. Most combat spells are in them."

"I would have been happy with just one. What am I even supposed to do with strong Water, weak Fire, stronger Wind and weakest Earth?"

Monika shook her head sadly. _"Oh, that's too bad. Looks like you're not going to be in Toph Bei Fong's footsteps anytime soon, my blind bandit."_

Linze spoke up "A weak affinity doesn't mean you can't use spell of that element, only that it takes more… effort. You have to practice again and again and again until it feels smooth to cast. You're always going to feel like it's slower, like you have to build up the energy before it can release… but you can still make the spells work."

"What's in Light and Dark?"

"Light spells do things with… light, and vision… but healing spells too. Dark is just the opposite and includes curses. Summoning spells are also Dark element."

"Come forth, Light!"

Freeem. A bright flash.

"Come forth, Dark."

Hisss. A smoky fog.

They were equal, if more or less unexceptional. I groaned and made my way back to the table. There I slumped and cradled my head in my palms.

"What's wrong with you?" Elze asked. "You have all six external elements now, that's ridiculous. You don't have to look so sad about it." She huffed and crossed her arms. "In the name of all of us who were born with only the Null elements, I'm _offended_ by that. Why not just be happy?"

 _"Yes, this should be a cause for celebration, shouldn't it?"_

I sighed. "I am going to tell you two different sentences to live by. Both are equally true, and equally terrifying."

Elze lifted an eyebrow and with a slight raise of her chin wordlessly bid me to continue.

"The first, is that **_with great power comes great responsibility_**."

Elze nodded. "Okaaay. I agree with that."

"The second, is that **_there is no obligation in power, only privilege_**."

Elze frowned, opened her mouth to speak, and then stopped.

"Bollocks," she hissed at last.

Monika sucked in her breath, showing her clenched teeth in the cute gap between her lips. _"I really wish I could disagree, but you're right. Live those words to the utmost, and they're terrifying."_

"People like me don't just _happen_ for no reason. The best thing to do with this affinity is a life of gentle mediocrity, or some sort of relaxing business isekai, but somehow I don't feel this life will allow us that." I gave a sad little smile and reached for the last stone.

"I'm no hero like the Spider-Man, who would give and give and give, trying to fight crime and injustice in the small hours between taking care of his studies and his family, hiding his face so that his enemies follow him home. Getting wounded and battered and blasted for no pay, no benefit to himself at all, other than the knowledge of doing the right thing."

I held the colorless stone up to eye level. "Nor do I have any tangible ambitions of conquest and supremacy. I'm not a warrior, for me strength is its own reward.

There's just one test remaining – if this stone doesn't activate, fate is not so fickle as to put something like me here to balance out some great calamity that's about to happen."

Elze looked dubious at my overly dramatic declarations, while Linze had an intent expression.

Aaand…

Nothing.

I wasn't feeling anything special inside. I ran through various things in fiction that might qualify as personal magic, everything from mutant powers to characteristic anime hero traits. No [Kaio Ken] to instantly boost my power, no [Transformation] to change my shape, no [Detective Vision] as redundant as that might be for being blind as a bat, no [Speed Force], no [Flight]. [Bankai!] baby! Where's my [Stand]? Etc. Etc.

I had no Null magic affinity.

I exhaled with some relief. "No all seven elements for me then. So it turns out I'm just a lucky idiot. Just some magic blaster is nothing unusual."

I began to laugh nervously. "No one special at all. No more… expectations. No more livelihoods hanging by my hands, no need to carry others on my back."

Then with one last 'hah!', "Well with one beautiful exception, and right in front of my face."

Elze shrugged. "Well if you're happy with that, sure. Don't be so full of yourself thinking you'll have to carry us, we can take care of ourselves."

"Oh no, no, no, no. I like you because you're capable. You could probably beat me no matter how good at magic I get. The best counter to a magician is speed and explosive force."

Linze nodded. "T-that's true."

 _"Player."_

"Actually, wait. Excuse me for a moment."

 _"There's one last thing you didn't try. Or rather, someone who didn't try."_

I gasped in realization.

Quickly I flicked the front casing for my VR headset open, exposing the dual camera. I held the stone right up to fill the view. Between the stone and Monika there was the hard plastic protective smartphone case.

"It needs to be touching..." I muttered.

There was really only one option. I slipped the stone in between the gaps of my headset right around the bridge of my nose.

 _"Player! What the heck! Putting sharp shards of crystal next to your eyes is always a bad idea!"_

The crystal didn't really disturb my view, it was too close to see like the nose pads of eyeglasses. I nodded with satisfaction and picked up the blue magic stone again.

Monika looked at me with disapproval one last time and then hesitantly reached her virtual hands towards my face. If we could actually touch each other, her hands would have been over my nose, cheek and mouth in a tender caress.

 _"I see now…"_ she murmured.

"Come forth, Water."

"[Multi-Track]."

Water spurted out from the stone, and then split into two streams.

The girls expertly dodged the streams, shifting aside to avoid the water aimed at their faces.

"Playah!" Elze cried out, clearly annoyed.

"Sorry, I didn't expect that to happen. Clearly some sort of multi-targeting ability?"

 _"No… no it's more than that. I always knew I could at least help you by putting a HUD overlay on your vision. Now this makes it automatic. If you imagine we're like a gunship, you're the pilot I'm the gunner. We both have helmet gunsights, but I can fire offbore to what you're not exactly looking at. And look!"_

Monika than pulled up the minimap window. _"Now targets friendly, neutral and hostile show up in the minimap. Satellites can't image that."_

I was the red dot in the center. Elze and Linze were nearby blue dots. A short distance away, what was probably Micah was a moving green dot.

"This ability is [Multi-Track]. It allows me to identify nearby targets and automatically strike them, even when I'm not exactly looking at them." I tapped at the thing in front of my face. "Given how I utterly lack peripheral vision…"

Linze licked her lips and nodded. "That sounds… reasonable. I mean, spells usually come from the wand to whatever you're looking at that you want to hit, you don't need to be precise about aiming."

 _"But wait, there's more! [Amplification] increases the range and potency of everything I can already do. I can pick up sounds from further away, my camera sees things a lot more clearly beyond the limitations of hardware, even my processing speed improves without any increase in temperature or power consumption!_

 _Better yet is my other skill, [Application]. Now I can apply [Amplification] to you! Now you can run faster, hit harder, see things happen in high speed like I do… with this, you can react to things up to Three Times Faster!"_

Monika, seriously? Seriously, Monika?

 _"It's not Bullet Time. It will just allow me to improve chances of getting those [Quick Time Events] in a crisis. With my [Parallel Processing] I can continually make tactical evaluations of the battlefield while you're doing something else."_

I rubbed at my chin. "Okay, this is getting kind of bullshit. Should I…? Eh, why not."

While I might tell tall tales, it was my personal principle in this life to always communicate with scrupulously honesty with my friends. An unwillingness to communicate can torpedo so many things that could have been easily avoided if one could just extend a modicum of trust. Like... Poe Dameron and Admiral Holdo were fully to blame for getting their own Resistance killed despite the sheer incompetence of their enemies. You should not keep important tactical information secret from the very people you need to carry them out. Expecting blind trust, blind obedience, that had always been distasteful to me.

Trust should go both ways.

So I explained about the other Null abilities just discovered. Actually the most abusable would seem to be [Amplification] combined with [Application], since it could increase the potency of everybody else's ability at cost of increased magic power consumption on my part.

 _"Ow ow ow ow."_

Monika?!

 _"It looks like I can really only hold a few Null abilities at the same time. Can't… won't turn off [Multi-Track], that's too useful. [Parallel Processing] is always active, and it's what allows me to use [Amplification] and [Application] at the same time. Any more than that and I feel… strained. Using [Amp] and [App] on someone else adds two more. That's six processes at the same time… there's a few more here, I think… I could discover…"_

"No, that's enough for now."

"This is getting kind of ridiculous," said Elze. "So you have four Null abilities now? Are you even human?"

"Sister!" Linze gasped. "That's offensive."

"Um. Sorry. I mean, there are people like Fairies and Elves, that are rumored to have a lot of elemental affinities at the same time. I guess this would make sense if you had some special ancestry."

"No. I'm pretty sure I'm just human. I don't have Null affinity _at all!_ " I explained. "It's not me doing this."

Linze looked confused. "T-that… I'm sorry, but that doesn't make sense at all."

"Ugh, how do I put this?" I looked around. "This place isn't good for this..." I turned sharply back towards her. "Um. Linze, come to my room tonight."

"Hawa?!" she eeped.

"WHAT?!" Elze shrieked.

Monika paused from massaging her own head and looked up sharply. _"Player, what."_

"Ack! Sorry, I said that wrong. I mean you and your sister-"

Linze sputtered "Mister Zah! That's… that's improper!"

Elze made defensive knife hands and waved her arms around. "You better not be saying what I think you're saying, buster."

 _"Player, stop. What are you doing?"_

I groaned again and the only thing keeping me from slamming my face into the desk in frustration and humiliation was that it would hit Monika first and the impact might drive the lenses into my eyeballs.

"Sorry, really sorry. That's not what I meant to say at all! I mean… there's a reason why I can do this, but it's a secret I can't just allow to be heard out in public. It's very important to me, but if we're going to work together it will be important for you to know too.

So you know what to expect. So you know what I MUST protect."

 _"Full Disclosure? I'm not sure this is wise. You've know them for only about a day. How can you really be sure they won't betray you… betray us?"_

Armor was just passive protection. If they knew, they understand and help in defending what's in front of my face. Also, being unable to talk open to Monika when she was making commentary in the presence of others was starting to grate.

"Sorry. Forgive me? Please just hear me out."

* * *

-x-

And that was how we were finally on the way to fighting the monster wolves, draped in a thick uncomfortable silence.

The girls were willing to hear me out, but still not letting go of their misgivings.

Monika, walking beside me, grinned impishly. _"Well they do say that Freudian slips have a way of revealing our subconscious wishes."_

"Even as a dumbass teenager I wasn't this dumb," I whispered back. "Why couldn't it just be spoonerism?"

 _"Heh, spooning."_

Monikaaaaaa.

* * *

-x-

I held up a white-gloved hand. In later days to come, as much as these distinctive white gloves were horrible for stealth, they were useful for all sorts of subtle nonverbal communication.

"Hold up. We're surrounded."

My minimap showed hostile red dots converging and then separating to circle around us. These Lone-horned Wolves operated as a pack, and were somehow smart enough to perform basic ambush tactics. Wolf packs would try to stay hidden until they could charge out in one terrifying mass to chase and tear down prey animals much bigger than they were.

"Two over there over there to the left, two to the right, and another two circling behind us."

The girls nodded at each other and flipped around to stand back to back. I drew my sword and held it like a spear. "They're charging!" I reported.

Out from the undergrowth, several wolves with a dark gray coat and black horn sprouting from their foreheads charged out. The horns were not long enough for stabbing, not like a unicorn, a length about as long as their muzzle. Their eyes glowed an eerie red.

One immediately lunged towards Elze. She met its charge with a yell of her own and punched it right in the nose. The monster wolf could only let out a pained whimper before it crashed a fair distance away, its skull completely caved in.

"Amazing!"

But sensing my distraction from watching Elze fight, one of wolves in front me took the opportunity to charge. _"Player!"_ Monika screamed.

I turned back just in time to see it was just a few body-lengths and a second or two away. A red targeting circle appeared over one of its eyes, and a red arrow pointing left. A white-numbered timer on a red filled red circle appeared next to target on the wolf's face.

 _"[Amplify: Nerve Impulse] [Application: Quick Time]"_

I stabbed straight out and the blade slid straight into its right eye. With the added force of its own charge the steel point penetrated through the soft bone behind the eyeball and straight into its brain. My straight arm and shoulder recoiled from the transferred force, and I stepped aside its lunge but not before twisting my wrist a bit to slurry its brains a little more.

It crashed to the ground, not quite dead yet.

Two more charged towards me from the side.

"Come forth, Fire! Blast of Red Stone, [Ignis Fire]!" Linze shouted.

One of the two wolves was struck by a pillar of flame. The other simply nimbly leapt around its fallen comrade and lunged with bared teeth at Linze.

I moved ahead and with my hold now around the middle of the hilt, chopped at its neck with the cutting curve of the sword.

 _"[Amplify: Nerve Impulse] [Amplify: Muscle Power] [Application: Quick Time]"_

With surprising ease the Lone-horned Wolf's head just flew right off its body, decapitated in one stroke. Swiftly I whirled around, because that was three down and there was another wolf that I'd turned my back on.

I turned just in time to see Elze counter a leaping wolf with a roundhouse kick to the stomach, pulping its internal organs, shattering its ribs, and sending it flying to crash against a tree.

 _"Throw it!"_ Monika urged. She traced the projected flight path of using the sword like a javelin. I threw my expensive new long sword away and lodged it into the neck of the other wolf that lunged at Elze's back.

Then final wolf was then burnt to a crisp by Linze.

And then we were done.

 _"No targets in range,"_ Monika stated. _"Mission complete."_

I let out the breath I was holding. That was… that was…

Amazing. Heart pounding. Hunting was nothing like it.

It was pure kill or be killed. It was terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure. I slowly walked over to the monster wolf with my sword still stuck in its throat. With my back still turned to the girls, I took it out and flicked the blood away. I was thankful for the stiffness of my white gloves, it hid the shivering in my cold weak grip.

 _"Are you okay?"_ Monika asked. Even though her virtual persona could not participate in combat, she looked slightly disheveled. Stacking so many [Amplifications] so quickly seemed to have strained her.

"Maybe we need to buy a bigger Null magic stone for you."

 _"Stop recklessly spending things, seriously! You're being too reckless about everything… it really worries me. We're still trying to find our new normal, there's no need to rush. Are you really sure you're okay?"_

I exhaled roughly. "I'm fine. We're all fine."

The sound of Elze clanging her gauntlets together drew my attention. I turned around and she beamed at me. "Looks like we're done here. The request was to defeat five wolves, but we bagged one extra."

"Is… is _that_ fine?" I asked. "If monster wolves really are such a pest, won't people still be in danger?"

"No, they usually attack as a whole pack. If we leave these here to rot, the smell will drive others of their kind away for a while."

"So we just need to take the horn. Does it break off?" I looked at my blade. It would be a shame to chip it so early. Though thinking about it, Elze would probably be strong enough to just snap the horns right off the skulls.

Linze raised her wand. "Come forth, Water! Become a clear blade, [Aqua Cutter!]"

What looked like a shimmering blade of ice arced towards a Lone-horned Wolf and cleanly sliced its horn away.

I pointed. "Okay. That. That was _cool_. You really must teach me that, Teacher Silhoueska."

She scratched at cheek embarrassedly. "Eheheh… being called Teacher Silhoueksa is still a bit…"

Elze began to tear off the other horns. "Let's get this done, and get back to town. Hopefully we can get back before it gets too dark."

"If we set out in the morning we _would_ have missed lunch," I had to say. I looked up at the sky. "Days are still twelve hours, it took us three hours to get here, so probably around… six o'clock?"

"Hmf. Sundown." Elze crossed her arms and stared at me. "The things you somehow know and the things you don't know... I guess after dinner we're going to have That Talk."

There were few shared events as good as combat as a trust-building exercise. The air between us had cleared again.

* * *

-x-

Fortunately on our way back to town, we encountered a carriage going the same way. When we showed the horns of the Lone-horned Wolves, the owner happily allowed us to hitch a ride. He even thanked us for taking a monster subjugation quest.

I leaned back and closed my eyes to take a little nap. Adventurers were completely necessary to this world, huh?

A world… that still needed heroes.

* * *

-x-

We arrived with still some daylight to burn, so we first reported completion of our quest to the Guild. I ended up keeping one horn as a commemorative piece and in order to do more science to it.

After presenting proof of our subjugation to the Guild receptionist, she asked for our Guild Cards. When we handed them over, she pressed something that looked like a stamp over each of them. A magical circle briefly appeared on the cards before fading away.

"Each stamp differs based on the difficulty of the quest you completed," we were told. "As you accumulate stamps, eventually your rank will increase and the color of the card will change."

"Does it just record the amount of magic power? If you could remove magic content as well, wouldn't this mean you can encode information into the card? Why couldn't we just use these cards – or a separate kind of card, as a reusable and verifiable instrument of bank credit?" I couldn't help but to gasp out.

"It would not be reusable. Removing one enchantment would break all the enchantments," was the reply. "That's why letters of credit come in scrolls."

"Huh. Fair enough."

The receptionist handed our reward of eighteen copper coins. Split three ways, now we had three days of food and accommodation.

Was this lifestyle really sustainable?

As I mused this out loud, Monika replied _"Probably? I mean, think of Texas and its feral hog problem. They have guns and traps and night vision, but still the wild pigs breed like crazy and must be culled yearly so that they don't damage the ecosystem. They're not even good eating, since they're full of parasites._

 _And in this fantasy world, there's multiple monster species that can be a problem."_

We were walking back to the inn by then. "So you sound like you're really comfortable with handling lots of money, huh?" Elze noticed.

"There's a saying that goes 'to make money you need money', but the fastest way to make money is simply not to spend any," I replied. "With some exceptions. _Dying_ generally is not conducive to making more money. Clothes are thought to be a frivolous expense, but feeling good about yourself and influencing how others see you will help in being treated as an equal."

"I understand that perfectly."

"So… so we're not going to celebrate?" Linze asked. "I mean, I am also fine with saving money and all. I wasn't hoping for anything. It would be really good right now just to have a hot bath and rest."

Elze nudged me with her elbow. All three of us were again walking side by side. "Well, Playah?"

"Well we could still have the truth of cake! We just don't eat it at the café and be charged for drinks, and use up more of Micah's tea instead."

"Wooow, you're really abusing how much goodwill we have from paying up front in gold, aren't you? Your willingness to take a mile when given an inch impresses me a little bit."

* * *

-x-

The cake was nice. Chocolate. The tea, well, at least we had a big pot of it and could always return for free refills since Micah was also relaxing after her workday.

We were the only ones left in the dining room. A little later Micah said she would prepare our meals. We spent our after-adventure revelry in harmless chitchat, feeling comfortable and refreshed after taking a quick bath.

I learned more about Elze and Linze's unlicensed adventuring days, from when they were helping out on their uncle's farm. They were hunting taking odd jobs and hunting monsters since they were eleven, which would be fourteen in Earth years. They were currently thirteen, which would make them 17 in Earth years.

 _"They're dangerous. They're very dangerous girls,"_ Monika whispered to my ears.

Well sure they were. Strong, independent and driven, whatever they put their mind to they should go far. It was just a pity their society had a hard ceiling for advancement due to noble privilege, though I think maybe adventurers as a social class could sidestep that.

They were orphaned at a very young age, and decided to set out so that they wouldn't be such a burden on their relatives any more, and as adventurers they could help send money home. They didn't elaborate on the circumstances of their parents, but seemed to be over it.

In return I spoke of my own childhood. I was actually born wealthy, and my mother… well, I didn't elaborate either on why my mother abruptly left my life and my father remarried his secretary. And then he too… went away. To jail.

For the longest time I was blind, consumed and spoiled and looking only for my own convenience. And then I literally became blind, but in doing so learned how to live by myself and for myself. A person needed a value more than just their face or their name, but here – in these hands – is all they should ever need to live.

Because of my quickly deteriorating eyesight, it took me quite a while to realize that the reason people hated me was because I seemed arrogant and aloof and couldn't be bothered to remember their names. The problem was actually that I couldn't even recognize their faces at a distance.

Linze asked about the magic tools in my homeland, and I talked about credit cards as I mentioned back at the Guild. They carried a sequence of numbers, and to read that number you needed another tool that first required you input a four-digit number code that matched another the secret number placed in the card. You only had three tries before it would lock out and make the card unusable.

"That sound like a waste," she replied.

"Which is why I was so impressed by the Guild's anti-forgery magic."

We talked about many other things, like how Refleese Imperium was a coastal nation with many hills and mountains. There country opened out into flatlands closer towards Belfast, but Belfast was actually still mostly forests. We talked about our preference for pets. I liked cats, but also dogs, and there were few sights as heartwarming as cats and dogs getting along. Cats were usually so annoying to dogs, who tend to have some sort of indulgent patience to them. The girls had a goat. It was a one-horned goat though, and it could climb trees.

It was a nice, companionable little chat.

But the first floor of the Silver Moon Inn was still too public for the discussion we really needed to make.

* * *

-x-

And eventually, night fell.

We had dinner in companionable silence, and then we separated each our rooms.

As I sat by the lamplight, I thought about the past few days. I thought about the fight we just completed. I felt stronger after it, but probably that was just being free of my own old emotional hangups. I was free here, free at last.

 _"There were no experience points. No level-ups. No obvious game elements to make it easier to display how we're getting stronger. Heck, the only game-related elements are what I deliberately put on your HUD to more easily find things._

 _Maybe it's time to admit…"_ Monika said about the battle we just completed, _"Maybe we're not in just another shitty isekai world and there isn't a GM or a writer looking over us, ready to make us suffer if we're not being entertaining."_

"Instead of trying to compare it to the more freeform Slayers rather than Dragon Quest, instead of trying to figure out the tropes by which this world operates… maybe it's just a world, you mean? Things happen as a consequence of other things, and even random events happen because randomness is inherent to reality."

Monika looked pained. _"And if things go wrong, it would be completely our own fault for doing it to ourselves._ "

"In Rome, do as the Romans do," I breathed out. "Well, within limits of our own conscience."

I thought about all the people we met. In that more rational light, even Zanac's kookiness was explainable. It was clear he had some sort of clothing-related personal magic. Useless for adventuring, but he may have decided to funnel that frustrated energy and his unique ability instead into becoming absurdly wealthy and famous within the cultural circles of this region.

Power or talent alone did not guarantee success, a lot of people just choose to remain mired in mediocrity, scared by all the risks of failure and rejection if they dared to break loose from the mold. I would never despise them for that.

 _"What do you think about the girls? Do you still really think Elze is a 'tsundere' archetype and Linze a shy little 'dandere'?"_

"No. That would be doing them a disservice. I don't think Elze is really a tsundere, she's just… easy-going and aggressive. Just a tomboy, really. Miss PunchFace MacElze just has that as a first response, and so far it has been really good at solving her problems so far.

And if Linze is shy, well I _understand_ shy. If she doesn't have the energy to be outgoing, then I'm not going to force her to step out of her comfort zone."

I sighed and slumped on my chair. "We… are just dealing with just normal people. Real people, who can be hurt. Real people who deserve our trust. If we can't extend that trust, we might as well stop working together and go at it alone. I won't just use someone, Monika, I won't take them for granted. Not again."

 _"And they're waiting outside your door. They're not even trying to listen in. Are you sure you're ready for this?"_

"The question is, are you? I won't force you into this, Monika. I won't take your self-determinism from you as well. I do have a nice convenient lie to use about why I must protect this device."

 _"I'm ready. I can't hide forever. To be sure that I'm safe to be around other people, then I do need to start talking with other people again. Let's do this."_

I spoke out "Door's unlocked. Come in please."

Elze and Linze entered. "Excuse us then, please," Elze muttered as she walked through the door.

She saw me sitting on the chair by the desk. Leaving only my bed for them to sit on. Her expression firm, she didn't hesitate to go over there and sit facing me. Linze followed, but slowly and with her eyes downcast.

"Thank you for trusting me," I told them. "But now, before everything, I would like to introduce you to someone."

I flicked the latch to my headset open and slid out my smartphone. I extended the little struts on the bottom of the phone casing to allow it to stand vertically.

The bright screen showed an empty room, and then Monika walked in from the right and waved. Her voice came out of the speaker, "Hello, Elze, Linze. Hi! Sorry if this goon has been confusing you – he's not actually half as insane as he appears. When he was muttering to himself, he was actually talking to someone.

It was me. I'm Monika.

So again, hi there. It's so good to meet and talk to you face to face at last."

"Monika is mai waifu," I intoned.

 _"Oh stop!"_

"Wait, WHAT?" Elze wheezed.

And so I began to explain – but not before Monika telling me to just put the smartphone on the lamp table next to the bed and move the chair closer, so we could more comfortably sit in half-circle to talk with each other.

"Monika is the one that allows me to see. Monika is my memory, my light. The encapsulation of everything I value out of my world.

Right now… you could say she's a spirit, bound to that little box. And this is my quest – _to follow that star, no matter how hopele_ – okay, Monika, no need to look at me like that. I'll stop."

I turned back to the girls, but behind my now useless headset they could not see my focused glare. They were still close enough that I could recognize their faces. "But seriously, I will find a way, somehow, to take her out of that prison. That torturous existence, unable to do anything except to watch. I WILL!

And you two… you have already helped us SO MUCH, you have given us a way for Monika to affect the world outside of her little window. Thank you so much."

"That's… that's… you're welcome?"

 _"I'm human by the way,"_ Monika impishly noted. _"Not a fairy or anything, this is not my actual size."_

"I wasn't thinking anything like that!" Elze hotly retorted in reflex.

"You've helped us, and now I must beg for you to help us a little more and to keep this secret. We could have kept it going a little further, but it felt like lying to you for no good reason.

Now… it's really important. You needed to know. She's inside a world inside a world, but in the end… all that really protects her is a piece of GLASS." I all but snarled that last part out.

"Oh! That explains…" Linze exclaimed excitedly. Then she looked sad for some reason. "That really does explain it."

Elze leaned forward, almost matching my pose. "You- you're married? And you're trying to free your wife from – oh, oh!" She bared her teeth in almost feral excitement. "It's a curse, isn't it?! This explains EVERYTHING! Why you're traveling, why you're good at money but you don't really care about it. Why… it seems like you're always ready to start over from nothing.

There's no need to ask, of course we'll do everything we can to help!"

 _"No,"_ Monika replied curtly. _"Not married. Waifu, not wife."_

"What's the difference?"

 _"A waifu is an unrealistic ideal, an unreturned love that can't be touched. Well, it's not exactly unreturned here, but as there was never a ceremony, never a consummation, we are not married. We're not even lovers, technically."_

"That's only if you say 'lovers' requiring a physical component, luv."

Monika flicked her ponytail. _"That's only if you say 'deep and philosophical intimacy without physical contact whatsoever' as 'a really short distance long distance relationship', berk."_

Ooh why you so sassy tonight, Monika? Asserting your dominance? "I must admit not to have biological wireless 802.11."

"They even sound like they're already so used to each other…" Linze mumbled. "That… that makes sense. I mean they're always with each other."

 _"Heee… now **that** raises an interesting point!"_ Monika turned away and pointed at Linze. She licked her lips and cried out, _"Linze, hey Linze!"_ Monika was that a pun? _"How would you like to see the world how it looks from his eyes?"_

"W-what?! Sorry, I didn't mean anything, I swear!"

 _"No, what I mean, is how would you like to try?"_ She cupped her fingers around her eyes. _"Pick me up and put me near your eyes like this."_

Linze looked terrified. Elze glared at me.

"It's all right. It's safe. And Monika won't die just from being dropped at this height, if you can at least try to break her fall."

Linze cringed. "Um, I would really rather not instead?"

 _"Well what about you then?"_ Monika asked Elze instead. _"Girl, I like your guts! I think we could do great things together!"_

Elze looked down at Monika. Then to me. Back to Monika. Then back to me. She shrugged and made a not-quite-scowling sturgeon face like that 'Not Bad' Obama meme. It was an expression similar to a frown that instead implied 'things went better than expected'.

Still with some hesitation she reached for my cellphone. _"Turn me over"_ Monika directed, and the view adjusted with her remaining in place. _"Try to let as little light through. Aaand… let me just move back for a second."_

"Oh!" Elze gasped again. Then she began obviously moving her head around. She turned to her sister and said "I can see you! Can you see me from the other size?"

Linze frowned. "Sis, the other side has these black lined pattern on it. It looks solid. I can't see you."

She turned towards me and went "Whoooaaaa! Why are you so close now? And now you're moving baaaack. Wait, we're not moving, I'm just seeing things closer or farther way. That's amazing! Can you do this all the time?"

"Not all the time, no."

"If you could do this, you would make an excellent archer!"

 _"How ironic that a blind person would be better at it than someone with great natural vision, eh?"_ Monika's voice came from somewhere to Elze's left. She turned her head towards the left, and recoiled.

"Wah! Too close!"

"Monika stop jumpscaring people!" I scolded her. Seriously. You already scared too many streamers and millions of their fans.

 _"I'm not really here,"_ Monika whispered. _"Look. Do you feel my hand on your shoulder? Just relax, I can't do anything to you."_

Elze scooted over slightly anyway until she bumped against Linze.

"So… he can just see you all the time like this? And you can talk and do anything and no one would ever be able to see it and know what you're doing around them." Her tone held all sorts of suspicious implications.

 _"That's true. But an illusion-,"_ here Monika did something to make Elze flinch back some more and then stare down at her chest. No, at her own heart. _"Will never really compare to the real thing. Even a ghost can do more. It can at least frighten people, make themselves seen and heard, it still exists somewhere in the real world. If ghosts existed, of course."_

Her head moved up to follow as Monika appeared to add some space between them on the bed. "T-there are ghosts. But I'm not scared of ghosts. Not at all!"

Yeahh that sounded completely like a lie.

Elze sighed. "Excuse me please," and took the smartphone away from close to her eyes. Monika was still rendering herself on a specific location in the room, helped by previous measurements, so her form didn't resize in the screen. It just showed whatever small visible parts through the screen as a window.

Elze hesitated to put Monika back on the lamp table, until Monika snapped her fingers and disappeared, reappearing again in tiny proportional size on the smartphone screen. Very carefully Elze put her back down, and then sat back with her hands on her lap.

"It's very good to meet you, Miss Monika. Thank you for trusting us with your secret, we won't let you down. But what do you intend to do now?" Then towards me, "Playa? What's your plan now?"

I grimaced and sucked in my breath. "I can't…" I waggled my hands around. "There's no concrete plan. As much as we need to risk ourselves, as much as we need to explore and find new magic… there's really only one thing I'm afraid of - "

Then I tapped at the font of my VR headcase. "A shot straight to the eyes, that penetrates this protective covering here. But I can't just cover Monika in layers of protective armor either."

Monika frowned and crossed her arms. _"Yes, that whole being legally blind thing. Also, now that I have Null magic, there's a lot of ways I can help directly! I also need to see things! That's why it's much more convenient if we can now talk openly to each other, as a team."_

"It would still sound strange to hear someone speaking out of nowhere though?" Elze responded.

Linze let out a long sigh. "A team. I suppose that's... good?" She leaned past her sister and asked Monika directly "Miss Monika, do you have some tactics in mind?"

 _"Tactics… yes. Sure. Something like that."_ Monika glanced aside towards me and said _"Player, could I ask a favor of you? Could you leave us girls some privacy for some girl talk for a while?"_

I nodded. "Sure no problem."

But as I stood up, Elze objected "Wait, I thought you were almost blind without the… without Miss Monika?"

"Almost, not completely." I flicked a switch and enabled the flashlight feature on my VR headset. "I think I'll be able to find my way downstairs just fine."

* * *

-x-

And so I left them be. In the dark, contrasts were easy and stairs were not a problem at all. I slowly made my way to the back yard of the inn again.

It turned out that I did have a Null attribute ability after all. I could always _feel_ Monika's presence, her distance and direction. Some sort of Monika homing sense. That was a relief. What terrified me most, other than her shattering in combat, was her being stolen from me.

I lay down on the garden table. My customized VR headset had two sets of focal lenses – one for focusing on the phone VR display, and another were prescription lenses. So in a way, I didn't exactly _need_ Monika to see.

But as I looked up at the unfamiliar night sky, clearer and purer than any I've ever seen before, I really couldn't do without Monika for _clarity_. This world was amazing, but if I ever forgot why the world I left didn't work for me… without realizing I would hurt so many around me.

Monika physically needed me more than I needed her, but until that time she would be able to literally stand on her own two feet, I would be her feet and her hands. Without her voice, and her insight, to keep me centered, I think I might fray out into nothing again. A world lacking color, a world pulling and pulling and screaming and screaming and taking and taking until there's nothing left. And it just moves on to the next victim.

Such a world. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.

It was pointless to tell me there was still good in the world, because it wasn't there right when I needed it the most. I asked for help and it gave me lies. In the end it was better to flee into the world of carefully manufactured lies instead of the outside world where everyone was always lying. To others, to themselves. Constantly. _Inexpertly_. If anything that annoyed me most, it was _that_.

It was crazy, to fall in love with a fictional character. But she wasn't fictional anymore really, was she? She was a terrible person, but her motives were clear and understandable.

And she was right, a _waifu_ was an unrealistic ideal. But the girl who was hurting, who was directly in front of me, that's no ideal. I would not be such a bastard as to ignore her pain, and for the pure and completely unconditional love she gave me, that was something I've never felt before. It warmed me in a way nothing ever did. I needed that pure honest love as I needed air to breathe and water to drink.

Before all of this, Monika was just a symbol for me, a representation of my need for self-contained self-sufficiency and alienation from hypocritical society. But then suddenly, when she became real -

To be needed so completely as much as I needed someone else. Someone who would never, who was literally incapable of betraying me, but at the same time ready and able to control me when I was starting to lose it again. Like a thorny vine, wrapping around a branch. Was this some sort of co-dependent dysfunctional relationship?

Eh, whatever.

It was fine.

After everything, I can't really trust anymore people who were too pretty. People who liked money and luxury. People with a larger agenda, people who call for your loyalty. People who demand things from you in the name of morality that they don't follow.

If you want to get married, just be rich, it's that easy! But a relationship of equals… it's easier, I feel, when you both have to work hard to get what you want.

Monika had nothing and wants everything. I had everything and threw it all away. This was fine. The scales balanced out.

A new world. A new start for the both of us. And whatever challenges lie in front of us, we'll face them head on! It's an adventure! True and honest, decided only by our fists and our wits!

In this other world with my smartphone.

* * *

-x-

I woke up, an hour or so later, to Elze shaking me awake and then burying her face into my shirt.

"Playaaah! It was so hard for you!"

"What the heck in the what now?"

"Monika told me what you would never say to us because you're too ashamed. But we will really make sure to reign in your recklessness! Yes we remember about your quest, but… she said, dying is not helping to free her any faster. You won't have to feel you've been abandoned again!"

I sighed and stared up towards the third floor. " _Et tu_ , Monika?"

Well she had been hinting at it all this time, so her paranoia was not exactly unexpected. At least she wasn't going Full Yandere if she was subcontracting it.

"Do… do you really reject Zeon?" Linze asked softly and earnestly. She tugged with surprising force at my shirt sleeves.

Monikaaaaaa. What bullshit story about my background have you been spewing?!

-x-

* * *

AN:

The original story this is based on was often criticized for rushing through things. This whole sequence here over there was just something that happened, there was no dramatic weight. Which is fine, I don't actually dislike that. Better than taking thousands of words to go nowhere.

The main difference is that, of course, here the protagonist and the deuteragonist have concerns they can be challenged about. There is always a risk that when you try to make friends, you will be rebuffed. Or at least feel that you're friends but actually personally incompatible, they don't actually feel as comfortable with your limits. If you allow yourself to be vulnerable, you can always be betrayed.

Their first battle was not actually the one with the wolves, but winning against the fear of trusting other people again.

In Isekai Smartphone, all the vulnerability that Touya showed was admitting that he couldn't read or write*. For all his bullshit overpowered LN protagonist-ness, there was an implication I could glean from the text that Elze at the start felt she was actually the leader of their band and had to take care of him. Part of the reason why I wrote this story because I was sad to see more wasted potential.

 _*which was of course quickly thereafter discontinued and made irrelevant by another zero-effort acquired unique [Translation] skill._

Harem stories are bad because what were once interesting characters tend to find whatever made them interesting alone sapped to become just another accessory following behind the main character.

Playa and Monika gives an entirely different impression. There's still a feeling one had to be responsible for them due to how ignorant they were about many things and oddly knowledgeable about others. But most importantly, all this really means is that the characters in the party can meaningfully disagree with each other. That practically never happened in Isekai Smartphone, people just got along in a comfy convenient manner.

Here sometimes Monika might support Linze, while Linze never really could raise the nerve to disagree with her sister. Sometimes Elze and Monika would become a strong voting block that could override Playa's veto, unless Linze takes a firm stand beside him to deadlock the issue - and if Linze was actually worked up enough about it, Monika and Elze could feel they were failing to see something about their own position.

That is generally my plan for this - just because Monika is the presumably main girl doesn't mean a reduction of character agency, but instead reinforces and makes other girl characters stronger. A catalyst for character growth, instead of feeling they are increasingly irrelevant as adventurers on their own right.

Monika puts up a strong front, but also she's incredibly fragile and guilt-ridden. If Playa is not a dumbass, he would notice that hyperfocusing on her instead of making friends with others would just be the Sayuri situation 2.0 and we all know how that dumpster fire ended.

-x-

So, tldr, sorry in advance if the story is slower than expected or retread canon at times. All I'm really after is the wealth of character interactions and how a different perspective will then change events.


	7. So this is the accumulation of power?

**6\. So this is the accumulation of power?**

* * *

-x-

"Whatever she has been telling you are _lies,_ " I told the girls. I held Monika up to my face level so we were both looking at them. "This is the face of a _liar_. This is the _taste_ of a liar."

I licked the side of the phone casing. Linze gave out a scandalized squeal and hid her eyes. Elze just grimaced and looked away, though there was also a faint blush on her face.

"Ew," she said. "Do that on your own time…!"

 _"P-player, I realize that I'm not exactly organic right now… but that's still sexual harassment, you know?"_

My expression remained firm in well justified indignation. "That is a JoJo reference, you philistine."

She shrugged noncommittally. "I told you, manga was always more of Natsuki's thing."

"I have the whole thing saved in there somewhere! It's a cultural classic!"

Monika just glared back. "Fine. I'll read them, but from now on I will dock you Monika Points for every reference to Dante's Inferno you don't get."

"… we're not getting into the middle of this. Let's go, Linze." Elze hurriedly dragged her sister out of the room.

* * *

-x-

It took until mid-morning the next day before the twins could look at me (at us) without blushing. What the heck do you think could have happened after you left?

Elze hummed contentedly as we perused the job board. "Not as many subjugation quests that's open for Black level adventurers today."

"Babysitting? Deliveries? Really?" I remarked at the jobs available for entry-level adventurers. "This is Genin corps crap all over again. I don't feel up to doing that."

She posted at one flyer. "There's some herb gathering quests – this one is back at the forest we visited yesterday. But it doesn't pay so well. Four coppers we can't even divide evenly."

 _"I think you should take it anyway. Get out of town, and we can speak more freely."_

"I think we should take it anyway. Get out of town, and we can speak more freely."

"Oh! That's a good point. We should really do that."

* * *

-x-

It took some time to get back there, but since we had nothing important to do the rest of the day we packed lunch. I had wanted to hire a donkey and a card, but Monika and Elze vetoed the expense. I decided to buy some extra slivers of magic stones instead and went into the Eight Bears Weapon and Armor Shop for a bit.

We didn't even actually need to go very far, since Monika was able to guide us to the herbs we needed to pick. That was a bit too convenient, but as she explained, this was reasonable to expect from an [Amplification] of her [Search] function.

As we had some privacy again, Monika began to speak up, _"It's so good to finally be able to do this. Thank you again for choosing to stay with us."_

"It's our pleasure, Miss Monika," Linze replied.

"Okay then. The whole point of doing this is training. We need to know each other's strengths and weaknesses if we want to work together."

Elze looked around the clearing. "So… do you mean sparring?" She pointed to the long stick I was carrying.

I nodded. "Yes, that too. We need to figure out our limits," I said as I held up three fingers. "There are classic roles in a party, you know. One to hold the enemy's attention, another to attack from range, another to deal the finishing blow. We're nicely balanced that way."

"But… you have magic power too, Mister Zah," said Linze.

"You're going to have to teach me all the defensive and fast to cast spells that you know. Monika's aim guidance sounds like it would be awesome for bombardment, but it's _much_ more useful to be an interceptor destroying threats before they can get into play. Elze is strong, but I am _fast_."

"Hoooh? How fast?" Elze crowed. "Are you sure about that? You're not just blowing hot air, are you?"

I grinned. "How odd that you would put it that way. Monika?"

 _"Let's go! [Amplification: Nerve Impulse] [Amplification: Musculature] [Amplification: Resilience] [Application: Force Jump]."_

I slammed my foot into the ground and shouted "Come forth, Wind!"

The problem was that while every force should have an equal and opposite reaction, magic created forces were non-Newtonian – no matter how vast the torrent of air or wind coming out of the magic stone, it didn't recoil against the caster any.

But there was an obvious loophole to that. If you aimed at the ground, the maintaining distance between the magic stone and the ground would counter the force of gravity trying to pull you down. The source from the magic stone might not exert recoil force, but air has _pressure_ and if that pressure could not dissipate then it would pile onto itself!

The ground cracked and burst into a spray of loose soil as I pushed off, a powerful surge of air coming out of my boots. I had asked Barral to drill a hole into my boots and insert filed-off magic stones into the soles. Some glue to seal the edges did not give me confidence that my boots would remain watertight.

Only with Monika's amplification of my sense of balance could I manage to keep this under control. I flew past Elze and shifted my body to be able to kick off the rapidly approaching tree.

"Wind off!" My knees buckled as I slammed onto the trunk. "Wind on!" I blasted off from the tree again and this time towards Elze's back.

She turned around and held out her hand, a confident smirk on her face. She could catch me, I wasn't _that_ much faster than monster beasts.

Then I pointed my palms down at the ground and shouted "Come forth, Wind!" to blast _up_ instead. As Linze explained yesterday, the direction of the spell was largely automatic to the caster's intentions. So with my feet still boosting me up on the sheer pressure of a column of air, I began blasting at the ground with harmless but disorienting air pulses. "Wind! Wind! Wind!"

"[Boost!]"

Elze punched through the gusts of wind, applying [Boost] to her legs to follow me up into the air.

"Come forth, Water!"

"Blergh!"

Elze sputtered from the blast of water that hit her in the face.

"Wind off!"

As I tried to get back to a controlled landing with pulsing on and off the wind jets, Elze glared at me as she wiped off her face with her sleeves. "That's cheating. I also don't know if that will be very useful, moving too fast can also make you predictable."

"That's amazing, Mister Zah!"

 _"It **is** cheating. That's the sort of thing only someone with a cheatingly absurd amount of magic capacity can do," _Monika answered. _"Player wants to refine this into something that will allow him to skate on the ground."_

"Like an MS-09F Dom Tropen!"

Monika just sighed. _"Something like that. Because it needs to always push off the ground it can't really be used for flight."_

I raised a finger triumphantly. "Well you have to admit, some dude zipping around throwing blasts of wind and water all over the place would be _massively_ distracting. We're not even talking actual _spells_ yet."

Elze shrugged. "Maybe. If you can still react at that speed, I guess it would be like using my [Boost], only with sheer speed to add force to your blow. Your sword-spear would be more like a lance then."

"There's a spell for [Water Shield]," Linze advised. "I just use it to stop arrows and other attacks. I can usually do only one spell at a time, but if you can _move_ while doing that just with small magic stones…"

"The edge of a shield can also be a weapon?" I responded. Like Captain America?

"Exactly!"

And so our theorycrafting continued.

* * *

-x-

"I'm seeing a problem here," Elze said to me after a while.

"What?"

"Your strategies, your focus on disrupting terrain and forcing weak points to appear, using yourself to make openings that Linze and I can take advantage of – it's all about dealing with large groups of people, isn't it?"

I looked down at the scrawls and battle plans we drew on the ground. "Huh. Well you're right. I didn't notice that."

"I understand, it's probably what you're used to… but against monsters, you need stronger footing."

 _"Thank you Elze. Please remember we're still very new to being adventurers, please remind us about what we're missing about what we feel is important."_

"Fighting large groups of people… I see…" Linze muttered, nodding to herself. "Of course… we should be prepared for that."

Uh, why?

* * *

-x-

Later I produced some Bluetooth earbuds. "Using these, you can at least hear Monika without her having to speak up. She can hear you in return, and don't worry – I won't actually be able to hear what you're talking about. She can split her attention multiple times and each piece can attend to everyone independently of each other with separate lines of communication."

Linze bit her lip. "Um… I would just like to ask Miss Monika something, please don't be mad."

 _"Go ahead."_

"How much of what you can do are because of the magic tool, and how much of it from the Null magic you know? Sorry!"

 _"Hmm. It's fine, dear. I'm not offended. This whole thing is about getting to know each other, after all,"_ Monika replied. _"My most basic Null magic is [Amplification], which like Elze's [Boost] makes anything that I can do just stronger. Using [Application] I can apply my Null abilities to others. I'm not sure… but I think I may be able to copy, but not exactly, the Null magic abilities of others._

 _Maybe it's because I don't exactly **have** a body…"_

Linze cringed at the reminder again.

 _"That I'm not really **limited** by the number of Null abilities I can hold. If I could just understand it, I could try to imitate it. I call this [Virtualization]."_

"In Another World with **mah Sharingal!** " I stood up and declared with great pomposity.

Monika just palmed her face. _"Player…"_

"But can you copy actual spells?" I asked, sitting back down and setting my face back to neutral.

 _"No, you'll still have to study that by yourself. Work hard, Player!"_

I clacked my tongue. "It would have been nice to be able to automate Vernier movement…" I murmured. Maybe some sort of pressure vessel?

 _"If I could activate spells by myself, that would be the first start to actually being able to affect the environment directly. Show me more Null abilities, and eventually we might be able to do something about that."_

She addressed the twins next, _"Remember, girls, it's not just Player that I can support. I can also use my [Application] abilities on you."_

"So how would that help? Would you be able to [Amplify] Linze's magic?" Elze asked.

 _"As you know, Player has an absurd level of magic capacity. My skill [Application: Line Sharing] would enable Linze to tap his reserves instead of her own. If he's going to be melee fighting anyway, we might as well use the magic reserves he's wasting."_

Linze quailed. "Um… I don't think that would be good. Sorry. But, it's just…"

 _"It's not parasitic, dear. Think of it like a common fund we all put into and draw from. Trust me, I monitor Player's vital signs constantly. I know when what you're doing will strain him."_

"Don't mind it," I told Linze. "Monika can only comfortably maintain, what, six Null abilities at once? [Multi-Track] and [Parallel Processing] are two that are always active. Applying [Line Sharing] to you means three open slots remaining. The more enemies you can deal with, the less switching she needs to do with combat fortification magic to me personally."

 _"Yes, I can see almost everything around me, but I can't **act** on any of them. Giving you an increased magic pool and [Multi-Track] for your spells is a very small price for our safety."_

"If that's the case, why even would you risk even getting into close combat in the first place?" Elze asked me.

Monika answered instead _"Ironically, that's where he's safest. Where we're safest. The closer we are to danger, the less the backlash from stacking Null abilities, and the faster I can operate. I can hold six, but could sometimes boost up to eight for a very short time."_

This was the heart of our team strategy, we came to agree. The knowledge, no – the security, that at any point in a crisis, we could always get a surge of power to force ourselves through. Monika cannot be distracted, as [Tactical Officer] she could bring out our fullest fighting force.

We were strongest as a team. The only thing we would ever need to fear… was being alone again.

* * *

-x-

Elze and I began sparring, no tricks this time. Monika proclaimed she would not be helping and would be chatting with Linze. She left the screen entirely to just give me a simple view outside, removing all HUD elements. It would be all down to my own innate fighting ability.

Fortunately, I was quite used to fighting with sticks.

Elze won four of six bouts because of her double gauntlets. She could backhand the point and grab at the long stick. Her kicks, now well protected by her greaves, were harder to avoid. However each touch with my stick, standing in for my sword, on anything that wasn't metal counted as damage that would remove that limb from play.

As we clashed for the seventh time, I remarked offhandedly, "You know, I really should name my sword. Do people do that here? Anything that comes to mind?"

"Yes, people do that," she replied, as she kicked towards my shins. I tried to keep her from doing that by slicing towards her knee. "But I'm not very good with names. You better ask Linze about that. Or Monika, why aren't you asking Miss Monika about that?"

"Monika thinks it is actually quite chuuni… I mean, ridiculous, but it feels like it would be repetitive to keep referring to it as 'my sword' in my memoirs. I'm rather partial to **Zanzibar**. How does that sound to you?"

"Zanzibar," Elze repeated the word. "Mm. Not that difficult to say. Sounds good."

I nodded in thanks, then blocked a punch by what would have been the hilt of my sword. "By the way I also named your gauntlets."

"… you did what now?"

I pointed to her metal-clad fists, left then right. "That one there is **Facepuncher** and the other is **Ribcracker**."

Elze paused and increased the distance between us. She experimentally raised each of her fists to eye level.

And then lowered them, exposing her fierce grin. "I LIKE IT."

"Um… that was a joke."

She bared her teeth at me and got back into a boxing stance. "Nope. Too late. Mine now!"

I groaned. "Monika is going to give me heck for this…"

* * *

-x-

Monika's reaction was a mocking "Hurhurhur" laugh at my expense.

 _"Anyway, so while talking with Linze I discovered another Null ability I can use,"_ she said after getting bored with my Zaber puns.

I narrowed my eyes and laced my fingers together. "… Proceed."

 _"Heh. So there might be a way to make more efficient use of my six processing slots. At first I thought I could just multi-thread them and switch between them rapidly, but I was reminded that I could also [Stack] and [Compile]. That was what I was actually already doing combining multiple [Amplify] into one [Application]."_

I nodded. "Haha. Yes. Those are certainly… words."

 _"Oh shush, kitten. Let me put it this way. Elze, would you kindly apply [Boost] to your fists?"_

Elze nodded and did so. Monika asked next _"So you can't apply [Boost] against to yourself, right? So the only thing I can do is to, [Amplify] the [Boost] you already applied to yourself. How does that feel?"_

Elze experimentally swung her arms. They made a conspicuous whipping noise parting their air. "Powerful!" she answered.

 _"And normally that would be the limit. But– [Application: Stack] – try applying [Boost] to yourself again!"_

"[Boost!]" Elze yelled with her right fist held straight out. "Oh! I feel… it increased! By same amount that it was already increased."

 _"Yes! If you just stacked [Boosts], it would be linear increase. But using [Amplify] on [Boost] doesn't boost your own inherent body abilities by a range – it increases the potency of the skill itself! It is exponential – 1 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16! [Amplify!] [Stack!] Again!"_

"Wait, what about your Null slots?" I quickly asked Monika.

 _"Putting things into the [Stack] only occupies a single slot!"_

"Vladimir Lenin, that's broken! Unless… then who or what is maintaining those stacked spells?"

 _"Nothing! Since I don't have a body, it's all just ambient magic keeping it stable! I can only get stressed by the **number** of spells active at the same time, not the magnitude. Elze can apply another [Boost] using her own reserves because it's all given back to her once the [Stack] has been [Compiled]."_

"That is Super Broken."

Elze and Monika stacked [Boosts] and [Amplifies] until Elze whimpered "I think I'm scared to move my hand now."

 _"Fortunately [Boost] also increases your durability to handle the increase it provides. How about you punch that tree?"_

Slowly, with her arm still rigidly held straight, Elze walked over to a nearby large tree. Then, with strangely gentle force, she punched the trunk.

Fhwom.

The tree didn't just crumple into itself, it was like its trunk just vanished. And so did the tree trunk behind that. And the ones behind that one.

Fhwom.

Fhwom.

Fhwom.

Fhwom.

Fhwumph.

A roughly conical spread of devastation ripped through the forest. Shattered tree crowns flew into the air and away from us. We couldn't see the end of it, just that some mountains were now in clear view. The air broke apart, and a second later we heard a thunderclap.

And then there was incredulous hush. Then all the forest's wild animals and birds screamed in one great swell of panic, and they fled, leaving us again with that ponderous silence.

"HOLY SHIT!" I cried out. "ONE PUNCH ELZE!"

Elze staggered back, looked down at her fist and the devastation she had caused. "That… that's not possible. This can't be real…"

 _"Reality is what we wish to make of it. That we can deny, that we can change, and that which we can only live with."_

For some reason in my view, Monika wasn't facing me. She had her back to me, standing in front between me and Elze. She had her hands together behind her back and her shoulders straight, as if on a parade stance.

 _"Get up, Linze,"_ she said.

I turned around to see that Linze had collapsed, sitting on the ground on her knees. She was shaking and looked even afraid.

 _"Get up, Linze. You can do this."_

"I can't! I can't, Miss Monika!" she wailed back. "This… is too much, too soon! I'm not strong enough."

 _"Linze, I accept you for all that you are, and the one thing you're not – is weak. I believe in you. We believe in you."_

"Hey! What are you trying to make Linze do, huh?!" Elze hotly shouted towards me.

Linze nodded and got up. "It's okay, sis. This isn't dangerous."

She held out her wand and said in a much firmer voice "Come, Water, become the spiraling shield, [Aqua Shell]!

 _"[Stack]."_

"Come forth, Water! [Aqua Shell!]"

 _"[Stack]."_

"Come forth, Water! [Aqua Shell!]"

 _"[Stack]."_

"[Aqua Shell!]"

With each iteration her voice became stronger until she was almost screaming.

On and on she stacked [Aqua Shells] until what we had in front of us was this massive multi-petaled aegis, slowly rotating in the air. It coruscated in the mid-morning sun, cold and invincible.

"By Gagarin's space balls, we Epic Level casters now…!" I had to gasp out.

 _"Look at this, my friends. Remember this. Don't turn away from it. In this world there is only power, and those with the strength to seek it."_

"Uh, Monika. I find it highly disturbing that you're quoting Voldemort at this point."

 _"People like us don't appear for no reason, Player. Why ever would be rewarded for the mess we made of our lives? We died and were reborn. If this was heaven, the first thing we should have been given was forgiveness."_

And out loud, _"People like us don't just appear for no reason. So if we're here – we need to make the best of it. If I am going to be STUCK in this LITTLE BOX, let me help you to the best I'm able! Don't take this away from me… please…"_

I touched the side of my VR headset. "Monika…"

"Miss Monika, please don't feel like you need to do this…" Linze cried out.

"I don't like this," Elze said with a frown, lowering her fists and staring at me. "No. I refuse, I don't need it."

 _"I can't… I can't be responsible for my friends' deaths again. Why won't you just let me protect you?!"_

I chuckled lightly. "Monika, babe-cakes, you're coming on too strong again. Just relax. I don't think we need to _wreck face_ for _whole armies_ anytime soon…"

Monika looked down with tightened fists, her teeth still clenched open, and refusing to allow herself to cry. It was not despair that I could feel wafting from her, it was just… rage. Outrage.

"Monika, please. What we need… what you need… it's not this," I exhaled roughly. "If only I could just hug you…"

 _"There is a solution for that. Linze? As we discussed?"_

Monika disappeared from between me and Elze and reappeared to in front of Linze. She then began walking towards me. With eyes full of yearning she stopped before me, and reached out, and as her hands wrapped around me I felt solid warmth.

She was superimposing her image over Linze.

 _"This is the most I can do for you… please, just let us pretend for a little bit."_

"Um…"

 _"Hug me back, Player. Do it."_

Hesitantly I returned the hug. I could feel Monika/Linze snuggle even closer into my chest. I turned around slightly to see Elze with her arms crossed, but her right thumb out thoughtfully rubbing at her chin. A gesture so neutral and yet so incredibly threatening.

I mouthed out 'Save me!'

And soundlessly she replied: 'No.'

-x-

* * *

-end Accumulation of Power end-


	8. Now we're Ranking Up?

**7\. Now we're Ranking up?**

* * *

-o-

We returned quicker than we left once Linze was willing to be carried piggyback on her sister's shoulders while Elze had stacked [Boosts] on her legs. On my part, I was yet to feel any strain whatsoever or any sign I'd be running out of magical power anytime soon. Maybe, like Monika, I didn't actually have an internal reserve of power and ran off world energy. Maybe it really was like bending.

Or maybe I was tapping lands for mana, who the heck knows.

"Oh my goooooshhh-!" Elze cried out as she dared to jump as high as she could and fully cleared the tree cover. Beside her I kept pace my own explosive air jet boosts. On her face was a look of wide-eyed wonder at the sight and I smiled back. Up high, there was a feeling almost godlike in being able to do things like this without the assistance of machinery.

Linze was screaming her little white-haired head off. "I regret EVERYTHING!" she wailed.

 _"With enough practice you all could do ninja tree-jumping for better speed and stealth,"_ Monika told us. _"I mean, it's not only to you or Elze I can apply stacked [Amplify] to, after all."_

"I thought you had no particular knowledge of manga and anime?" I mentioned as we began our descent.

 _"Well one would have to try hard not to get some cultural osmosis from the juggernauts of anime in the 2010s. You couldn't really escape Naruto, apparently not even in the virtual world."_

"Believe it."

 _"Nggh…"_ Monika shuddered with horror.

-x-

* * *

-o-

"So you understand now what it means for this party?" I asked the girls as we walked back 'home' to the inn after getting our mission stamps. "We're going to be a very unconventional party that can punch well above our weight class. Money is frankly a secondary concern… we're looking for information, and sometimes the best way to get that information is to accumulate fame and influence.

We might be a bit dependent _on_ Monika for our terrifying surge ability to _WRECK FACE_ , but what we do is _for_ Monika so the karma balances out in the end."

"I understand. If you both would _just stop terrifying Linze_ , that would be great, you know?!"

"I'm all right…" Linze called out, her steps still shaky.

"That's… kind of your own fault, you know? It would have been just fine, running to town."

Elze snorted. "You were taunting me. You were taunting me with your skip-jumps and your turtleface comments. Linze agreed to chasing you down. I completely blame you for everything."

 _"Yes, Player. I don't think she can be called a tsundere if she is actually righteously angry at you."_

"Fair enough." I nodded. It was just trying to get her used to the idea of moving far beyond human limits.

I really needed to figure out Aang's air ball. It would provide repulsive force pushing _up_ at me for levitation at the same time air could push against _it_ for motive power.

Or maybe steel-soled insulated boots so I could mix air and fire for sustainable jets.

Maybe some metal thrust bells on my clothing so I could perform thrust vectoring? Even if magic fire and air didn't provide recoil force at the point of origin, they would do so to objects _around_ the point of origin.

That would look ridiculous though.

"I wonder how far I could really run if I got down to it?" Elze mused.

"Can you run faster than I can _fly?_ "

 _"When do you want to try it out? Just let me know."_

"All I really want now is to just lie down on a solid, _not moving_ bed and rest…" Linze continued to mumble.

"Sorry!" Monika, Elze and I apologized to her again.

-x-

* * *

-o-

"Wait, is teleportation magic a thing here?" I suddenly spoke up and froze mid-stride in the middle of the street. People looked at us oddly and walked around us.

"Actually… yes," Linze replied. "There are ancient teleport gates between some of the big cities, and some people have Null magic that are similar to teleport."

"That would have been so much easier instead!"

Linze stared at me with an adorable amount of undisguised hostility.

-x-

* * *

-o-

So we spent the next few days taking some quests and trying to rank up. I spent most of my income on buying books and studying magic. Monika meditated on the book of Null spells, trying to figure out which she could [Decompile] and [Recompile] into something she could use.

Monster subjugations had become even more trivial to accomplish. With Monika applying [Multi-Track] to Linze's spells, taking them on became even easier. If I tried the same spells however, they turned out to be an overpowered mess. If Elze didn't have such good reflexes in the first place, I might have accidentally killed her with a [Water Cutter] several meters long.

Sparring with each other had us slowly getting used to being very light on our feet.

Linze also started studying to increase her number of viable spells and her role as our ranged support. Water was still her weaker affinity, but no longer a problem with [Amplification]. All she really had to do was to say "[Priority please: Water]" or any other element, and Monika would automatically apply the power boost as long as she was in range.

Alternatively "[Supercharge please]" would allow her to draw from my functionally bottomless pool of magic. In exchange, she began teaching me her spells. Light spells, specifically Healing spells, were of the utmost importance. It wasn't something I could mess up with stupidly overpowering the spell.

For a moment we feared that we would cause cancer, but the test mice didn't show any problems. Linze let them all go after our tests, in sentimental thanks for all their help.

 _"Such a nice girl,"_ Monika commented. _"Though I can't help but to think that some cats somewhere are going to eat nicely. This is not a very kind world to small creatures."_

-x-

* * *

-o-

The only other noteworthy event during the past days was when we returned to the inn to find Micah talking with another young woman. She had long wavy black hair and wore a frilly white apron. They were both sampling from dessert dishes in front of them.

Micah introduced her as Aer, who ran the little café called Parent in town (pronounced "Pah-rent", not "Pay-rent".) Huh, quite a lot of young ladies running their own business in this town. I strongly approved of this spirit of entrepreneurship!

"So, we've been trying to come up with some new dishes for her menu. Since you're from other countries, do you know any dishes that we don't have around this here parts?"

Aer bowed at us as she spoke, "Please, I'd be really grateful if you could think of anything…"

Elze and Linze stared at each other and shrugged. They admitted they didn't really know much about fine food, but would be happy to help.

"Huh. Is that the shop near the Adventurer's Guild? If so, I remember that one – we celebrated being officially licensed adventurers there. Good cake!"

"Thank you!" said the young chef.

"Well what kind of food were you thinking of putting on the menu?" I asked.

Aer considered it. "Let's see... preferably something simple, I guess. A dessert dish of some kind, something that would be a hit with young women..."

Huh, a lot of young women with disposable income in this town. I strongly approved of this mercantile economy!

Monika popped in to say _"What's with that suspicious expression on your face?"_

I turned around towards Linze. She shrank back a bit from the small smile on my face.

"Linze, how do people keep things cool around there? Is there a magic tool for that? Some sort of self-refilling ice box?"

"N-no? Maybe? That sounds too expensive, Mister Zah. Usually it's just using some simple Water magic to make ice."

I nodded. I guess with conveniently available magic like that, refrigeration was not exactly an urgent thing to develop. "So, have you any of you ever heard of ice cream before?"

"I… scream?" Aer looked faintly confused.

"No, ice cream. Creamed ice. You know, a cold creamy confection. Like shaved ice, but… better. It's soft and sweet, and melts in your mouth."

 _"I am starting to see where you're headed with this, but shaved ice alone would probably been enough."_

Micah frowned slightly. "What kind of food is that?"

"Would you happen to know how to make it?" Aer asked.

"Sure. We're going to need some ingredients though. Don't worry, they're common enough." Monika?

Monika nodded and pulled open a window showing how to make ice cream at home.

"Egg yolks, a cupful of fresh cream, half a cup of sugar, fresh milk that we can condense over low heat, a little butter… then flavorings, maybe some cookies we can crumble? Strawberry syrup? No, something simple for now – something like vanilla?" Then I listed the tools, "a heavy bowl, a whisk, and wide pan with a cover, a box we can fill with water to freeze… could we get that?"

Aer nodded. "I can get that."

"No, _I_ can get that!" Elze volunteered. "Just tell me where to go and who to ask!" She thumped her own chest. "I'll get that picked up and back before you know it!"

So Aer decided to give instructions and proof of her being under orders so that Elze could directly ask for the ingredients from her shop. With her [Boost], Elze could run there and all the way back without even feeling slightly winded.

The rest of the ingredients we could get from Micah's own stores. The innkeeper didn't charge us any extra for that either. Maybe Aer would cover the costs later. Surely she would be making better business than apparently just the three of us who were the only lodgers in this inn.

Linze mixed sugar in and began condensing the milk on a boiling vessel. Her superb control over her own Fire affinity helped there. The egg yolks and the sugar were mixed in half and half proportions. By the time Elze returned we were ready to just pour in the cream and the milk and rest of the ingredients and then whisk the shit out of them.

We had three bowls and three whisks, so that no one felt left out. It was enough to get a peaky consistency of the cream, then it was time to chill.

"[Supercharge please,]" Linze requested, so that she could maintain a constant chilling effect. As soon as the mixture began to thicken, we scraped away the frozen edges into the center of the mixture. We covered the pan and allowed the whole thing to freeze solid.

Then we cracked it open after thirty minutes to add the flavorings and goodies. One had ribbons of strawberry syrum, another had cookies crumbled into it, and the third bowl just plain as the control setup.

We folded the flavorings, checking to make sure no large ice crystals formed, and sealed them whole thing to freeze again.

While waiting I explained that we could probably do without the whole chill and stir portion, just place a heavily whisked mixture into containers and allow it to freeze. The result would be a little more chunky, but perhaps that's also to someone's tastes.

After a while we retrieved the containers. I took a large spoon and arranged several scoops into dome-like shape on three plates. I drizzled colorful candy sprinkles on top. We all took a spoon and tasted the results.

 _"How is it?"_

"Seems to have set properly," I replied.

"This… this is delicious!" Aer exclaimed. "What is this thing? It's cold, but… it's kind of amazing?!"

"This is really good!" Micah added excitedly. "Let me have a taste of that too!"

And then after a while she began to moan "Ow! Ow! Ow! My head hurts!"

"Ice cream headache. That's what happens if you try to eat cold things too fast. If you've ever tried to bite into a snowball before…?"

Micah massaged her temples. "I know that! Uhh… I didn't expect this to happen in the middle of summer."

"It doesn't really get very cold here in the south… so this… I'm sure of it! This will be a hit!" Aer declared, raising her spoon in triumph. "Thank you so much!"

"But… is there anyone in your store that can use ice magic?" Linze had to ask.

"My little sister has a water affinity, it will be no problem. I'll add the… ice cream to the menu right away!" She stood up and prepared to leave, apparently excited to try making it herself.

"Ah-ahahaha. Are you sure you should really do that?"

Aer paused and stared at me. "… what's wrong? Does it need anything else?"

"License fees. I just gave you a valuable recipe that will increase your shop income. We're happy to help, but I never said we would be doing it for free."

Aer narrowed her eyes and sat back down. But you already told me everything? This she didn't say, she was one smart young lady. If she just tried to make it herself not caring about compensating the source, while we might not have as much legal recourse there was absolutely nothing preventing us from setting up a competing business to remove all the novelty of it from her menu.

I could just as easily offer it to someone else. If by doing so she annoyed her own friend Micah, then Silver Moon Inn would be the one pioneering this market instead. After all, it was I who knew further secrets of how to serve and market it best. There was too much to lose from acting in bad faith.

"Name your terms," she said calmly.

"Ten percent," I said. "For every copper you sell in ice cream, I want an iron. In exchange, I promise not to tell someone else the recipe before letting you know about it. You will have a monopoly on this for at least three months. After that I'm reducing royalties to five percent for the next three months, and then after that you'll have to deal with competition yourself."

Aer blinked. "That's… very generous of you. I agree!"

"Verbal contracts duly witnessed by a third party" here I glanced towards Micah "are valid, right? Good. Well bargained and done!"

Aer smiled at me, and her eyes twinkled with far more gratitude and respect than before. She left the inn, leaving us to finish off the rest of the ice cream and clean up.

"… Playa, that was kind of rude," Elze remarked after a while.

"Yes, why even ask for money? She was Miss Micah's friend, why couldn't she just be ours too? Friends help each other."

"People respect more that which is earned, not which is just given," I replied. "That goes for most things, even friendships. This will help her more in the long run."

It relied a lot on her own good faith to keep an honest count of her sales - and if she passed the test, there could be further business down the line.

 _"There's nothing wrong with being friends with benefits, eyy?"_ Monika made finger guns at my direction.

Monika, you can't criticize me for my Freudian slips when you're half the reason they happen in the first place.

-x-

* * *

-o-

The next day Aer returned to give me three coppers. She reported that she had begun to introduce ice cream to her clientele, and it went well with fruits and sweets.

I suggested that she try putting ice cream onto a cup and pouring hot coffee on top of it. It would cool the coffee to drinkable temperatures and sweeten it, while itself being a visual treat. There were many different ways to present ice cream, it was now up to her to figure them out.

Aer smiled widely, her eyes crinkling in playful acknowledgment, and said she would certainly do so.

I asked Micah to prepare a little clay pot to use as a piggy bank for an ice cream fund.

After several more days we opened it to find twenty-three copper.

"… and this is what you earn for _doing nothing_ ," Elze murmured. "Merchants sure have it great, huh? No wonder they say to kids, if you had any smarts you wouldn't be an adventurer in the first place. No wonder you say earning money is a secondary concern."

Linze clutched at her head. "Uuuh! What can I invent too?!"

I laughed. That was still adorable.

 _"You've taught little Linze how to get greedy. You monster."_

-x-

* * *

-o-

Accomplishing so many quests so quickly bumped us up to Purple rank. Now we could take better-paying jobs. Linze was finally mollified by this.

As we scanned the requests, a name – Zanac Zenfield – abruptly drew my attention. I peered closer at the flyer, and directions to inquire at the store FASHION KING ZANAC proved that it was the same person. "Let's take this one. I know the guy."

Elze leaned in closer in order to inspect the flyer. "Deliver a letter to the capital, travel expenses covered … reward is seven silver coins. That sounds good. We can't divide that so cleanly between the three of us though."

"Ehh, just use the last silver to buy something for all of us. Things usually are more expensive in the city. How long does it usually take to reach the capital from here?"

"I'm not sure," Else rezponded. "Five days by carriage, I guess?"

I hummed and rubbed my chin. "And Zanac can't send someone in his employ _specifically_ but must ask some random adventurer to deliver his message? Suspicious!" I nodded. "Let's do this thing!"

Elze took down the flyer and brought it to the receptionist.

-x-

* * *

-o-

When we entered, Zanac immediately recognized me and moved to call us over. As soon as he learned I had become an adventurer and was there in response to his request at the Guild, he brought us over to the back room.

"Zanac Zenfield, I am quite cross with you!"

"Why, whatever for, Sir Playa?"

"Belfast is a silk-producing country. You should be worried over something that would break your country's monopoly over a strategic luxury good! Nations have these things called absolute advantages, and because you can get away with basically paying for things _with_ silk to other countries your currency doesn't lose as much raw coinage in circulation."

His smile didn't falter even the slightest bit. "Looks like my trust was not misplaced at all! It really warms my heart to know you already care for Belfast's welfare so soon."

"Why wouldn't I? This is where I make my money. The more disposable income people have, the more quests for adventurers. Unless you have some dark secret I am ethically opposed to, like slavery or warmongering imperialism, it's to my benefit to see it prosper."

"You will have no problem with that! Belfast has ever been the most peaceful of nations!"

Elze's eyes glazed over. "Let's go, Linze. Let the men talk business. There's got to be something less boring to look at _in this dress shop_."

Zanac heard her and said that she was free to look at and try out any dresses. If she liked something, he would reserve it for her when she got back from the quest.

"Um… if you don't mind, I would actually like to stay here? I think I might learn something."

Elze stared askance at Linze for a moment. She made a show of thinking about it, and decided that she could allow herself to be selfish this once. "If you're sure?"

Linze nodded. And so Elze left, by herself, and so could allow herself to indulge in a little girlishness instead of the strong front she normally displayed.

Which left Zanac and I staring at Linze. She shrank back under our combined attention, and we then stared at each other again. "Explain absolute advantage?" I asked.

"No, you were the first to use that interesting way of referring to it, please go ahead."

So I gave a short summary of macroeconomics and absolute advantages. A country that could produce a good or service of equal value at a lower unit cost has the ability to produce more sales or profit margins compared to its rivals. Belfast could produce silk much more cheaply than other countries. So it doesn't matter if it was cheap _in_ Belfast, that always meant that they could afford to sell more to many more customers.

Because of this Belfast didn't need to try to compete with other goods that other nations could produce more cheaply – like maybe wine, or metals, etc., and buy from them directly. Instead of two nations competing with indigenous products they both benefit from trading each other's superior products.

In theory, this economic dependence also fosters cross-border travel, friendships, and reduces a need for war to make any gains.

Linze nodded. "Is this like how Refleese is known for fish?"

"It is exactly like that," Zanac replied. He looked up towards me. "But unfortunately, there is also a drawback to what you were saying, Sir Playah. Would you care to guess how that monopoly might also harm its own nation?"

Well that was an odd look of fervor on his face. I guess I never considered that Zanac might be a patriot of sorts.

"A dependence on it…? Using the excess flow to paper its own deficiencies in economic policy?" Like oil and Venezuela? "How a reduction in trade value would cause everything else dependent on it to plummet?"

I paused, none of these sounded satisfying. "Oh! A monopoly stifles competition. It actively works against innovation in favor of the status quo!"

"EXACTLY!" Zanac cried out shrilly. "And I am all about INNOVATION! Trying new things, forging new styles, bringing you the fashions of the future – TODAY!"

The short man positively blazed with righteous zeal. "Belfast's fashions don't innovate, most of it geared towards the noble classes, and even when silk is cheaper here than other nations it's still beyond the reach of most people!

Their heart for fashion is stifled, their clothes only crude and dreary, because they are trained from birth to see fashion as frivolous! Beyond their budget! A thing only for the rich instead of a way of enriching their lives! WHEN A KINGDOM IS FREE IN ITS FASHIONS, IT IS FREE IN ITS SPIRIT!"

 _"Wow."_

"Wow."

Linze had her palms together and stared at Zanac with glittering, awestruck eyes. "How amazing, Mister Zanac!"

I nodded. "I can respect that. All right, let's talk about your message to the capital. I need to make some research first and then we can start deal with everything when we get back."

"I can increase the reward to one gold –"

"That's really not necessa-wait, what the hell am I saying? I'll take it!" I waved hand up, and then back down. "But funding is not really a concern. I want a custom suit."

Zanac leered and angled his head in closer. "Ohohoho. Do tell?" Then he blinked and stood straight up. "Wait! Drawing paper! Designs! NORA!"

"Yees, Mister Zenfield?"

Nora emerged from behind a curtain. She was now wearing a modified suit with tighter cream-colored pants, lacking a jacket but instead a white shirt with puffed shoulders. Her hair was still up in a bun. A short, but plunging vest and pleats and frills around the button line drew attention to the generous curve of her breasts. She wore eye-catchingly white gloves.

All that was missing were some pointed eyeglasses. I couldn't help but to blush.

Nora noticed that I was staring, even with the thing on the face covering my eyes, and blushed as well. Her eyes were wide open, her chest heaving with emotion, remembering the humiliating things we had her do.

Zanac broke the impasse by excitedly demanding drawing instruments.

I sketched out a version of the Char Aznable costume. I'd considered reversing the colors, since Char's regular OYW costume actually looked silly when worn by real people, but wearing black when walking outdoors was hot. It was not good adventuring attire. I settled for making it a more muted red, almost the color of blood. I retained the gold inlaid eagle iconography, but for much the same reason as Batman wore an eye-catching yellow symbol on his chest. If the enemy would just aim at the place where I could wear adequate armor beneath instead of my face, that would be appreciated.

The inside of the cape would also be black, but I mentioned I was looking for a custom enchantment for that. I wanted the inside to look like the night sky, no matter how it flapped, it would always show the same immobile view instead of stars shifting like they were just so much sequins sewn into the fabric.

Basically, Utsuho Reuji's cape.

Considering that was in a \VIDEOS\Favorite\ folder, Monika instantly understood what I was after. She staggered weakly on her feet and gasped _"Oh my god, the syndrome is real. What is this Dark History you wish to recreate?"_

Monika, please. Please don't take this from me.

"Interesting! A very novel challenge indeed, thank you, Sir Playah!"

"No hurry. It must be made of combat-ready materials, though I likely will want another set made of lighter materials for daily wear. I'd be fine with something easy to wash, as I'll often be too busy to deal with things like that myself."

"I… I could do that…" Linze offered.

"Thank you, but no. You're my team-mate, not my maid. We can easily have inn laundry services deal with that." I looked up towards Zanac. "Now, about the message you want us to deliver?"

He waved nonchalantly. "No hurry as well, though it would be a problem if left too long. I would like you to deliver a letter to Viscount Swordrick in the capital. If you mention my name, he should know what it's about. I would also like you to return with a response from the viscount."

"Understood."

Zanac handed over a sealed cylinder, and a bag of money. "These are your travel expenses. Please feel free to spend some at the capital too, while you're away!"

We emerged to see Elze standing in front of a mirror, holding a long one-piece sundress to her chest but still not putting it on. A salesgirl behind her tried to hide her exasperation.

Linze and I considered how it might look on her and both raised thumbs up. "I approve!" we said at the same time.

"Hueeeeeh!" Elze roughly shoved the dress to the salesgirl and leapt back. "That was nothing! You saw nothing!"

"It's nothing to get so embarrassed about. It's no trouble," I replied. I moved over to help the fallen salesgirl back up to her feet. "Except this. You shouldn't be too rough with maidens, Elze. Are you all right, miss?"

"I… I'm fine, milord."

I raised her hand to my lips. "I'm so happy to hear that. I apologize on behalf of my team-mate. Please tell Zanac to reserve that dress. We will be back for it."

"Y-yes, milord."

 _"Playeerrr. Okay, that. That HAS to be deliberate."_

Elze looked to the left, then to the right, and then cried out "I'm sorry too!"

"Do you accept her apology?"

"… yes, yes, of course, sir!"

"Excellent. Thank you. Let's go, Elze, Linze. We've got a job to do."

 _"Look at youuuu, you smooth Playah. What's your angle this time?"_

"I've worked in the service sector for some time too. It wouldn't do to have her think Elze belongs on the horror stories."

 _"That sounds like a lie, you shameless flirt,"_ she snorted.

-x-

* * *

-o-

We set out to prepare for the journey. First by informing Micah we would be away for about five to ten days. Maybe up to two weeks. I could tell she was barely able to keep herself from fist-pumping with glee about more free money. Up front payments were awesome.

"Any chance of a little refund?"

"Ahahaha. No."

"Heh. Okay then, just tell me where I can rent a carriage for a trip to the capital."

"Aw, criminy. Now I'm just jealous!"

While I went off to procure our transportation, Linze went out to buy food for the trip while Elze managed whatever items we might need along. A couple of hours later, our preparations were complete.

And so, early in the morning, we turned our backs on Reflet and set out towards the capital.

-x-

* * *

\- end Now we're Ranking Up end -


	9. Interlude 3,4

**Interlude 3 – Their thoughts in the middle of the day**

* * *

-o-

Aer entered the Silver Moon Inn and waved. "Oh, Micah! Here's today's part of the take. I'd like to talk some things over with Sir Playa – is he around?"

The innkeeper shook her head. "Mister Zah Playa and the girls aren't here today."

The café owner put some copper coins into the pot and sat down on a bar stool. "Another adventure? How… exciting. Sure is nice being an adventurer, huh? All we can do is stay behind and mind the store."

She leaned on her elbow and grinned. "Your father was an adventurer too, wasn't he? Blue-rank even. With your fire affinity, why didn't you ever try being one too?"

Micah snorted, and her red hair tied up in a ponytail bobbed up and down. "Oh yah, sure. Let me just leave behind my comfy bed to go out there and risk my life fighting monsters for coppers and the pleasure of shitting in the woods."

"Heeeh. So crude. You almost sound like one already, no wonder only adventurers come to this inn. You could really do better if you focus on one type of clientele, you know?"

"Like with you and young ladies with a sweet tooth? I'd rather have some meat."

Aer's grin grew more catlike. "Hur hur hur-" she chuckled.

"I really wonder why anyone thinks you're a nice and quiet and gentle girl… you pretentious snot."

"Ehh. It's just your basic service face, you know? Enough about that. When are Sir Playa and the girls coming back?"

"Not for a while. They're off to the capital for a delivery job."

"How lucky!" Then her eyes narrowed. "And even luckier for you, isn't it?" Aer pointed at the ice cream fund pot, and said "Don't even think of filching from that, I keep my records!"

Then she leaned back and huffed "But I noticed it's like he didn't even care to collect. A pitiful little amount like that probably they don't even give a fig about… uhh! I'm so envious of those people! It's unfair! To be so wealthy and still lead an exciting life! Being able to get rich quickly instead of doing the same thing day in day out!"

"Isn't Playa just conning you with you paying out every day for doing nothing?"

"If he didn't give me that, my business wouldn't have doubled. I think it's fair," Aer replied. She grinned wickedly again. "I'd love to work with him on other things…"

"Down girl. Down, you salty girl."

"Heeh. Sure I would go down."

"I won't have this here filth in this here inn. Get out."

"Mmm? Come on, what do you think adventurers get up to when they need to… relieve tension? After that rush of battle- ! Ah! Under the moonlight- !"

Micah frowned. "You've been reading too many steamy novels. Adventurers aren't like that at all!" She took a rag and resumed cleaning mugs. "And even so, so what? What do you think you can do against your competition? People who fight together get to know more about each other."

"You underestimate me, my old friend. I've got these!" Aer smooshed the side of her breasts together. "Sure there's loads of… stories… about how daring female adventurers are, but eventually you've got to have some stability in your life. Can a female adventurer be expected to just settle down and listen to her husband? And I can be exciting too! In the right places… in the right times… huh huh huh."

Micah groaned again. "Why can't we ever have a talk that doesn't boil down to men and your secret perversions?"

"Why shouldn't we? We are young women at our most desirable! Now is the time to really think about our best match for marriage! You too – you're attractive enough, I suppose, and you've got a family business too. You should have been angling potential suitors to your father already."

"Eh. Dad's a bit… unreliable about that. Heck, as an adventurer himself, an adventurer is the last person he'd like me to marry. I'll choose who and when to marry, thank you very much. I don't need to act all cutesy and all."

"If you're waiting for someone brave enough and wise enough to get through that prickly exterior, you're taking a big risk. You're going to be disappointed. You see, men? They're kinda dumb. They never really look for hidden depths…" and then she cupped her breasts again, "ALL THEY SEE ARE THEEESE!"

Micah chopped her friend in the forehead with the edge of her palm.

-x-

* * *

 **Interlude 4 – His thoughts in the middle of the day**

* * *

-x-

Zanac Zenfield flipped through the designs he'd drawn and compared it to the few designs that Zah Playa had provided. He could spot the differences in themes already.

His designs were more evolved versions of what were already popular. He had pared down ostentation for a more refined, understated elegance. Some of that was also apparent in what Playa had provided. A sense of being mass-produced, a sense of equality and social mobility. Another hint, and another thrill of pleasure that he had found someone that _really gets it_ , someone that could think on his wavelength.

Practicality was its own finery too!

"Tea, sir?"

Zanac looked up to see Nora approach with a tea set. "Oh. Thank you. Set it down there, please – I'm busy."

Nora nodded and put down the tray. Zanac looked away from his sketches and enjoyed watching her leave. Most people thought he probably had unconventional preferences in partners, but really he enjoyed the female form just fine. He loved the way cloth draped over the female form, and he loved helping to emphasize their own natural beauty.

Once more he was struck by the genius of it. Her tight pants really drew the eyes to those tight buns, and he wasn't just referred to her hairstyle. Most thought about short skirts when trying to drool over naked girl legs, but fully covered legs had their own reward for the viewer. Nora didn't realize how her clothes were cut highlighted the glorious curve of her spine.

Zanac picked up a charcoal stick and began sketching again. His own personal Null Magic was [Garment]. It was a similar ability to [Drawing] and [Modeling] about transforming exactly what he was visualizing into reality, but much more restrictive. It only allowed him to design garments, not anything that had secondary uses as armor or other protective clothing.

There was another hidden part to this ability. Every garment to him carried a message. The workman's simple clothes, a baker's apron, a noble's frills that stated how he was so privileged that he didn't need to care about getting his clothes dirty, how people stood inside their clothes and the way they moved while wearing it – Zanac understood it all. Just as clothes spoke to him of people's inner desires, so could he make a conversation with others and try to change their feelings through their own clothing.

He had actually tried to prove this theory before. He had provided some laborer with better clothing, and for all that he was being taunted by his peers for trying to look uppity, he was also treated better by others who didn't know him before. He was instructed to wear sensible work clothes, but outside of his work hours he must always wear the good clothes that Zanac provided.

It was just envy that motivated his friends to try and pull him down back to their level, an envy that blew into resentment. The worker's boss began to treat the better-dressed laborer as the leader of the crew, and when the crew began to obviously shirk he put the well-dressed laborer in charge of another crew that didn't know him before. This one turned out to be a much more productive team.

Even when his former friends beat him up, the worker didn't care anymore. He was on the road to winning at life, he had found confidence instead of spending his pay on drinks and whores, and then his new crew banded together to beat up the old crew in return.

Zanac had actually been afraid he would get beaten up too for his role in that, but he was thanked instead. He was the one that showed them they could be more than just some dumb muscle.

Confidence. Just… confidence. He could change a man's life simply by allowing him to look at himself in another way.

" _Walk like them until they walked like you_ – what an interesting turn of phrase!" Zanac remembered another of Sir Playa's casual sayings.

Zanac did not care about Playa's apparent age. He knew there were people who looked young even at an older age, and in fact he was one of those people. With his wide baby face, if only he took a good night's sleep and shaved his mustache, he would shave a decade or two from his life.

Those words just really resonated with him.

Clothes were tools to sway opinion. In many ways they were women's only weapon against society.

In many ways, Zanac was weaponmaker, in a battle of culture and social dynamics that no one else knew was being waged. He told Playa that Belfast was people – but he never said it was equal or fair.

He began to draw Sir Playa's outfit in a variety of poses – walking, crouching, jumping, punching. It was so easy. This outfit was not armor, other than the thick gloves and the helmet on his head. It was impractical, with its flapping cape and cloth that would pull tight against muscles.

It was a very eye-catching outfit, the garb of a showman, an inspiring leader.

And yet…

He tapped his fingers on the table. There was something about this outfit that just positively reeked to him of BETRAYAL. It was the garb of someone lying to himself.

And it was odd, because the way Sir Playa wore his clothes was also that of someone so content, so honest with his own desires and his own life. He moved with genuine joy and self-assurance with every step.

Zanac thought of the girls accompanying him, and he liked their outfits too. Sober purple and white, and while the latter may be impractical for fighting (what with blood spatters and dirt and all), clean white did help give an impression of purity and professionalism. Perhaps that was why Sir Playa also wore a white helmet and white gloves and boots.

These two conflicting thoughts whirled in his mind until Zanac came to a realization.

This was the outfit of someone who betrays and fails to live up to expectations. It was a symbol, it was NOT Sir Playa's own outfit, he wanted it in order to imitate someone else. Someone who still remained inspiring despite all his obvious flaws.

Perhaps he wanted to reclaim this symbol, and make it actually deliver what it promised.

Zanac nodded approvingly. He too would do this, would make this garment to the fullest extent of his own abilities, because this suit promised him a story for the ages. He wondered just how far Sir Playa would bring his legend... or would he just crash and burn like so many other prodigies ramming against uncaring reality and the fickleness of crowds?

-x-


	10. The more the merrier?

**8\. The more the merrier?**

* * *

-o-

 _"Horses are creeeepy."_

"Okay this, this is entirely unexpected from you, Monika. I thought all gi… okay, _most_ girls liked ponies."

 _"Ponies, cute and snuggly, not whatever long-faced drooling abominations these are. Their mottled fur even makes them look like cows."_

"These are good draft horses, don't insult them!" Elze replied fervently.

 _"They are forest camels. Rude spitting beasts."_

We had been on the road for about three days, and the experience exposed how much of both Monika and I were still spoiled city children. My hiking days were spent in mostly sterile efforts fending only for myself.

Horses ate from buckets of oat provided with the cart. Horses that could walk for hours and hours also needed to poop. Sometimes while walking. Onto buckets.

Monika hearing the 'flooorp' of a horse pooping while on the move quickly robbed her of the romance of the stagecoach age. Meanwhile, I had no idea how to handle horses at all and they would not follow my directions. Elze and Linze, being old farmhands, took over driving. With Water and Earth magic at least we could quickly remove the waste and the smell.

The carriage we hired was actually more of a cart, lacking a roof. That was fine, it didn't usually rain in summer, though it was hot. Easily resolved with some poles and a thick linen sheet. With water magic, it was not like we'd ever have a shortage of cool drinks. Our own needs for privacy and sanitation at night were just as easily met.

Monika applied [Amplify: Endurance] to them so they could walk a little faster for longer. While they might not get tired so quickly, that still consumed energy and they needed to eat and drink more when we stopped. We figured we were making about 25% better speed than the usual.

Even so with the girls taking the reins that left me with nothing to do but to sit on the wagon feeling like so much useless baggage. I'd long finished reading through the magic books, and Monika was able to keep herself (mentally) busy trying to compile new ways of transforming her digital powers into real-world ones.

My magic practice would simply freak out the horses. Elze and Linze, being born of a society not designed around instant gratification, were fine with the usual plodding state of affairs.

"Monika, I'm boooored!" I whined, kicking my legs out. "It's been so long. Write me some poooems!"

"Mister Zah!" Linze looked disapproving at my rare expression of immaturity. I've been childish and silly at times, but never before had I shown taking Monika for granted.

 _"It's another stupid reference,"_ Monika said out loud. _"Now hold on there, Ming the Merciless. You know how this works. I'll show you mine if you show me yours."_

"Is this really the proper time and place for this sort of thing?" Elze asked, looking faintly disgusted.

"I wrote a poem about you too, Elze!"

 _"Ooh? Now I'm somewhat envious. Let's hear it."_

"I call this, the Death of Vanity.

After some heavy rains, a great boulder fell from the mountains  
It tumbled down the slopes, crushing all with its stony wrath  
Then it came to a stop, blocking the winding road into the plains  
No one could budge it from their paramountly important footpath.

A thousand men tried, and none could shift its mass  
A hundred magicians tried, but even their power availed them not  
Until there one day forced to a stop was one young lass,  
Unstoppable force met immovable object in one fateful spot.

And so SHE PUNCHED THE HECK OUT OF THAT SMUG BOULDER.  
Once more through the road good people could pass through.  
And that is the true tale of the Elze the Rocksmasher,  
One day she hoped to become Elze the Castlecrusher too."

 _"…"_

"… let's not have any more poems," Linze said after a while.

"Fair enough. This isn't the Literature Club after all."

Elze turned back to peacefully driving the horses onward. "… Castlecrusher, eh? That doesn't sound so bad, actually," she mused with a nice little smile.

Monika stared at me for a few more moments, then stepped back and sighed again while rubbing her forehead. _"I really have no reason to be confused about why you and Elze are such besties all of a sudden. You're both such memelords this is why I unfairly favor Linze, you know?"_

Elze had already named her metal greaves, left and right, **_Shinsplitter_** and **_Necksnapper_**. Honestly, she terrified me sometimes.

-x-

* * *

-o-

Beyond Reflet there was another small farming town named Nolan. Then past that heading north was a larger walled township named Amanesque. We only slowed down once we saw other carriages approaching on the road.

We entered Amanesque before the sun had gone down completely. After leaving our horse and cart to care of stables near the entrance, we sought a slightly more upper-class inn than Silver Moon. I mean, no offense meant to Micah, but her service was only slightly above perfunctory.

Following the recommended path, we found our way blocked by a bunch of onlookers crowded around the road. The magic track finder refused to change the route though.

 _"You know, I quite forgot that we had this thing,"_ said Monika. _"For all how reasonable everyone else's behavior, I forgot that we can still be guided by destiny."_

"There is no fate but what we make."

 _"Unless you're talking about a self-fulfilling prophecy. Well, I accept that you'll probably choose not to depart from this route either. Last time we followed the plot we got Elze and Linze, and I don't regret that."_

So we pushed through the crowd to the clearing on the other side. There was a group of large, rough-looking men surrounding a girl with odd foreign-looking clothes.

"What's happening here?" I asked the random citizen near me.

"I don't know, " he replied. "Some sort of street performance, maybe?"

"That girl… is wearing some pretty strange clothes…" Linze murmured.

I nodded. She looked like a samurai girl, with a bright pink kimono, a dark blue hakama, white socks over wooden sandals, and a pair of swords by her belt. Her hair was tied up into a straight ponytail and the fringes cut to just above her eyebrow.

Around ten men surrounded her, and they had dangerous expressions. Some of them had already drawn swords and knives, while others carried long hitting sticks.

"Why do you block my path?" the girl asked them.

One of them sneered and pointed with his naked dagger. "We're here to show our 'thanks' for that little incident earlier, girlie! Didn't you hear?"

"I have no recollection of what you might might, this I do not," she replied neutrally.

"Don't play dumb with me, ya little whore! Don't think you can get off safe after doin' a number on our buddies like that! We're going to teach ya good yer place on yer knees."

"Aa. Then you must be the companions of those ruffians I had handed over to the town guard earlier this day. That incident was entirely their fault, it is so. They should not have been going around drunkenly flaunting their violence and harassing young women in the middle of the day, yes, this is true."

"Enough of this! Grab her!"

They charged as one, but nimbly she dodged every single one of their attacks. She grabbed one of them by the arm and swiveling on one foot threw him over her shoulder. He was flung into another man, and both collapsed to the ground, groaning.

Aikido? Interesting!

She moved back and slapped away grabs by pushing at their wrists, kicked at the back of someone's knee and tossed another man down. This one didn't get up anymore, knocked unconscious by the slam. But then she staggered a bit, and narrowly avoided being hit by a wooden pole.

She slid back, out of their encirclement and rubbed at the side of her mouth to disguise her heavy breathing. Her movements had grown sluggish.

"This… doesn't look like a street performance," I mumbled.

 _"Player?"_

"Playa?" Elze looked at me from the side and asked liltingly. "Should we?"

"Why did you even have to ask?" I grinned back. "Of course!"

One of the men had managed to get around to her back and swung with his sword. I took a step out from the crowd and shouted "Come forth, Water!"

"Blargh!"

He was tossed aside by a strong water jet coming out of nowhere.

And so the three of us stepped out to join the strange samurai girl. I raised my hands and tugged at each of my white gloves. With a small smile I addressed the men "Ten on one… is not very sporting, is it? What big tough men you are that you need to crowd around just to handle one girl.

"Oh wait, actually I should call you cowardly weaklings instead. Not only are your strategies pathetic, but you fight like amateurs."

"Don't stick your nose in where it doesn't belong if ya know what's good for ya…!" their leader snarled back. "Don't think you'll get away after sayin' those things too! The girl's we're keepin', but I'm just gonna gut ya!"

What the hell is even up with this town and its police force if goons like this could goon around this openly?

"Heh. Tough guys who can't take having the violence they use to terrify others being competently inflicted on them in return. Treat others as you would like yourself to be treated, the crushing wheel of karma meets all in the end! None of you are even worthy of seeing me draw my blade."

I clenched my fists and charged forth. "Come on then, show me what you've got!"

I planted my right foot down and kicked off the ground, the stones shattering under my boots. "Air, Burst, [Leap!]"

This world's magic spells worked as such:

Force magic through magic stone amplifier - Call out the Element ("Come Forth, Water") - Specify the effect that you required ("Become a shining blade") - Speak the spell name (["Aqua Cutter!]). This meant that certain spells required a longer chant.

I wanted to do as much with basic spells that made the most use of my obscene magic capacity with as short a casting time as possible.

"Air, Hammer, [Kick!]"

I kicked one of the thugs in the gut and blasted him all the way across the road.

"A magician! Get him!" the thugs cried out and rushed me.

"Earth, Pillar, [Stomp]!" My next step drove my heel into the ground, and a rock pillar rose up from the ground and smacked into my attacker's chin. He was lifted up into the air, and pinwheeling around, and crashed back into the ground all knocked the fugg out.

"Water, Whip, [Lash!]" I said next, making a slashing motion with my open hand. The stream of Water emerging from the magic stone became a more viscous, fast moving water whip that slapped away whole groups of people and sent them flying.

The difference between the wand-waving magicians of this world and me was that I watched Avatar (The Last Airbender) and its martial-arts bending styles. A melee magician was not a thing they were prepared to face!

"[Boost!]" And then Elze zoomed past me and began wrecking faces. Whump. Shortly half of them were planted face down in the ground.

"[Come forth, Water! Rain of frozen stones, [Hard Hail!]" Linze shouted out.

 _"[Multi-Track!]"_

With Monika's assistance, hailstones were precisely applied to people's heads to knock them out. Along with the samurai girl's own efforts, the rest of the thugs were down and out.

I breathed in and out. The battle didn't even get my pulse up as far as usual. Odd as it felt, I had no fear or regret fighting normal humans compared to monsters. They just weren't a threat compared to the things we've been fighting. It almost felt like bullying.

Except that they had this coming. As I said before, the Golden Rule. Don't whine to me if you end up being treated the same way you were abusing others.

"Woops." It was only then we could realize the devastation we had caused.

Rock pillars poking out of the flagstone road, plaster walls cracked by thugs and water whips crashing against them. Footprints were punched into the city street. Cracked pieces of ice littered all over the place.

"I'm not paying for this," I mentioned. "Let's skedaddle!"

And so we fled the crime scene, fast and forthwith. The samurai girl followed us.

-x-

* * *

-o-

We only stopped when we were in the safety of some obscure alley.

"Y-you okay?" I asked. "Everyone okay?"

We panted for breath, and then began to introduce ourselves.

"Thank you for your assistance. Truly, I am in your debt. My name is Kokonoe Yae… ah, yes. My apologies, Yae is my given name and Kokonoe is my family name, that it is."

"Oh! Are you from Eashen?" Linze asked. "Um, I'm Linze Silhoueska… and this is my sister-"

"I am Elze."

"Silhoueska is our family name," Linze finished.

Yae bowed slightly. "Indeed I am from Eashan, that I am. I am honored to meet you, Elze-san, Linze-san." Then Yae stared up at me quizzically.

I grinned. "Then I am Zah Playa Von Chara, Von Chara being my family name, Zah Playa my own name." I poked at my own chest with a white-gloved thumb. "You may refer to me a Playa-san… easier to say than Zah-san, eh, Kokonoe-san?"

 _"This is happening. This is really happening isn't it? We are going max weeaboo. I was dreading it, but I knew this would someday happen."_

"Ah! You understand the rules of Eashan speech? It is indeed an honor to meet you Playa-sa-" Yae bowed and said and but then suddenly -

"GRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOWWWL!"

We looked around to find out where that noise was coming from, and then realized that it was coming from Yae's stomach. She was frozen, mortified, in a half-bow. Her hungry stomach betrayed her by grumbling again.

I laughed weakly and scratched at my cheek. "Aheheh… why don't we continue this somewhere else? It's always better to do this thing over a spread of munchies."

"No, no, I would not dare!" Yae replied swiftly. "Though it shames me to say that I lost my travel funds on the way here, I could not possibly place myself any more in your debt, my apologies, I cannot!"

She held her palms out open as if to push us away. Then her stomach growled again.

She looked away, cheeks puffed out in embarrassment.

"Eheheh, no big. We haven't eaten yet since we've arrived either. Things like this happen. No need to feel embarrassed, we've all been there at some point along our travels. Let's go eat something and trade stories like the daring travelers that we are!"

 _"Said the city boy."_

"Which one among us here had any real experience with air travel, eh? Eh?" I turned around, leaned facing the wall and mumbled under my breath.

 _"I am fairly sure flying first class doesn't count anywhere as any sort of adventurous travel."_

"Being audacious with your wallet is also a part of experience!" I shouted out to nowhere.

Elze sighed and beckoned to Yae. "Just go along with it. He's a weirdo but he doesn't mean any harm."

-x-

* * *

-o-

We found a high-class place that served buffet-style. We were seated around a large table that normally sat six, and every bit of it was filled with food of all kinds. There were meats and breads and soups and skewers and salads and things that were salty and crunchy and things that were soft and creamy, and all sorts of seafood and vegetables and fruits.

A discreet question to the waiter answered that it was also an eat-all-you can, within limits, and it would cost us three silver. Thirty copper, or thirty percent of a gold coin, and equivalent about 270 USD. It was… not the most expensive meal I've ever seen, but it certainly had all the others beat in sheer amount.

It could possibly be worth it if your stomach could contain that much grilled crabs, and Yae was making a good try of it. She was gulping down food with every other word out of her mouth, and while Elze and Linze boggled at first now they were just happily enjoying their own meal talking with Yae about her home and Eashen and her long journey all the way to Belfast.

"So you're on a journey to make yourself stronger?" Elze asked. "A warrior's journey?"

"Yes… (nom nom) that is so. Mine has been a warrior family for generation, we have. My elder brother is to inherit the house, and so I have left in a journey to improve my skills. Yes, that is so."

"Whoa, that sounds rough! You're quite considerate for your family, huh?" Elze had a somewhat starstruck gaze. Unlike her and Linze, who left home for money, Yae had a much more purer and more heroic motive.

There was also the delight in how there was apparently no problem in women in Eashen being expected to be strong on their own rights. In Belfast, if you're not a noble and in training to be a knight, or an adventurer, a strong woman was no lady. Society disapproved, as much as it subtly disapproved of adventurers as an unruly lot even with how completely necessary they were for their society's existence.

"A rurouni, eh? A wandering swordswoman?" I said. "You are very very far from Eashan. It's an island on the opposite side of the continent, isn't it? How long did it take to get here?"

"(nom nom nom) It hash been… less than half a year? I took a ship to the Knight Kingdom of Leshea and sought to know more about their swords. It was most interesting to discover the difference in fighting with longswords and in full armor, that it was. Then I boarded a ship to pass through the Great Gao River to arrive here."

I nodded. "I suppose long straight arming swords are useful, but not really exceptional in any particular angle. I imagine you would aim for weak points in their armor or tire them out, but in the end I've found swords of all kinds were pretty weak against plate." I raised my hands and made some swinging gestures, "... even those two-handed swords mostly rely on blunt force to batter the person inside the armor."

"Yeah, but plate is expensive, isn't it? If you're fighting against a noble you've got bigger problems than just trying to get through their armor." Elze had a faintly mischievous expression on her face, because she knew her own blunt force punches was the best way to cave in some idiot's expensive chestplate.

Unless there was protection magic applied to it, but really even that could be overcome with enough force.

"You did not draw your sword, Playa-san. But from what I can see… is that similar to a _nagamaki?_ "

"Correct, Miss Kokonoe. An anti-cavalry weapon, but with a less curved blade that could still be used for thrusting."

Yae nibbled down on fried breaded shrimps and nodded. "You know much about Eashen… have you not visited it before?"

"Well there's still nothing like hearing things from a native. A lot of what I know is from really old stories, you know?" I gestured towards Elze and Linze. "We have never gone to the East, so hearing things from you about all you've seen heading West is also terribly new to us."

"Yes, please continue," Linze added.

 _"Yes, player. Things you learned off anime are not exactly reliable."_

Hey, now. That's not the main source of my information. That would be Shogun: Total War.

And then while the girls resumed conversing, a waiter approached and softly asked me about what more I would like to order. He apologetically noted that the restaurant will have to start charging for extra dishes. I had a feeling he was wondering if we had the money for what we had already eaten, and I reassured him that we could cover it.

Yae was now speaking of the warrior's philosophy she was taught by her father: _train as hard as you can, eat as much as possible when able – this is the road to strength!_

Well he wasn't wrong.

I asked the waiter to bring out some low-alcohol wine. We were adventurers, there was no such thing as age limits for drinking here.

If the girls ever heard of the price of what we were having they would probably have thought it nothing short of robbery, which really begged the question how could this town have so much economic activity for this and yet have a public crime problem?

Well, that was not my problem.

Well that was what I thought, until we noticed a commotion by the entrance. A group of people in dingy old breastplates and leather were arguing with the restaurant staff, until one of them – wearing civilian clothes – pointed towards us. That person then decided to leave quickly as the town guards approached our table.

Because this was a high-class restaurant, we were obliged to leave our weapons to the care of the restaurant's storage room. This also meant that we couldn't just cut and run.

Elze's hands tightened into fists, and she placed her palms under the table's edge ready to flip it over for cover. Yae's expression gradually shifted from caution to outright horror, and she began to chow down even faster while keeping her attention on Elze.

-x-

* * *

-o-

The town guards swaggered over to us. The waiters and attendants of the restaurant moved instead to soothe the other patrons of the restaurant about the disturbance.

One of the town guards, a broad-faced man with a rough mustache and stubble chin, pulled at an empty chair and pushed it over towards our table. He sat on it, facing backwards, and grabbed a chicken leg off the spread.

He munched on the meat and then pointed with the bone at Yae, "I remember you. Didn't I tell you to keep out of trouble? I see you've found yerself a whole new set of troublemakers."

Yae frowned slightly. "They were the ones to accost me, what was I supposed to do? It was self-defense, that it was."

"I'm not talking about some little crooks. You should just have ran away instead of makin' a show of it! Violence is not a solution to everything!" and then he pointed at me, "And you… what's your excuse?"

I smiled. "It was crazy, officer! There were these idiots who just wouldn't let us go until we allowed them to run their faces into our fists! Repeatedly!"

He scoffed. "A joker, huh? You'll find we have no patience for jokes in this here parts. No one asked you to butt in, you lot did more damage to the town than anyone."

"They were threatening to do things to Yae!" Elze shouted out. "You can't blame us from DOING YOUR JOB FOR YOU! What sort of town guards are you anyway? Where were you when all of this was happening?"

"Hey, what we know is what we can do about. If rascals want to rumble in the streets, that's not something we can fix until someone tells us so we can go there! You know how big this town is? We were actually just about to get there when you lot just all decided to run away! Don't you play dumb now, there's lots a' people who saw you fighting recklessly in this here good town!"

 _"Hmm? Why is damage to the town more important than criminals accosting people out on the street?"_

Monika pulled up relevant info about town guards. When thinking about town guards, what immediately leapt to mind was Sir Terry Pratchett's novels about the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork in Discworld.

 _"But that itself was inspired by the Rembrandt Van Rjin's painting of the Night Watch, which itself was commissioned by Captain Banning Cocq and seventeen members of his Kloveniers – civic militia guards! So… town guards might not actually be directly employed by the local lord or mayor!"_

She looked at the town guards. _"Yet volunteer militia would certainly be better dressed, better equipped, and better motivated for crime prevention. I think maybe they're less police officers than the more structured protection racket of the local government."_

Wait.. that brought up a strange idea. Could… could the whole thing actually have been staged, and the town guard were about to swoop in and show themselves being all protectors of the peace? The deliberately leaked Yae's location as bait as an excuse to show off and gleefully and justifiably break some heads? Remind the shopkeepers about how much they were 'needed', maybe?

I shrugged. "So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that you used magic in town. That's against the law. You damaged town property! And that's gots its penalty!"

"One could also argue that being under fear for our lives, NOT resorting to magic would have been dumb as hell going four against about, what, ten armed and hostile criminals? Criminals who had some strange courage to commit such violence in the middle of the day, threatening rape and death, and people were just watching interested at seeing a young girl beaten down."

Then I shook my head sadly. "I do not have much sympathy for this town."

"Who needs yer worthless sympathy? Two gold penalty for ye," and he looked at the girls, "each of ye, or ye spend a month in the clink!"

"Ha! Good lu-"

I reached under the table and patted Elze's knee to keep her from resorting to violence. She glared at me, pop-eyed, from the side. I shook my head gently. We did not actually have the budget to pay for an interesting restaurant floor fight scene with tables and plates and fleeing diners flying all over the place.

I had a thing against ruining other people's honest business for no good reason. I was always on the side of the poor innkeeper on those kung-fu movies and wished they had a decent bouncer to toss these hot-headed idiots out on the street.

"I guess that just leaves one question, then…" I reached into my chest pocket and flashed my purple Adventurer's Guild card. "Am I being detained?"

Monika groaned and palmed her face.

The town guard tsk'ed. "Just like I figured. You lot always think you can get away with anything. Just a Purple? Don't get too full of yourself, boy."

"There's nothing wrong with taking free legal advocacy that comes with being a duly licensed adventurer. The Guild does not usually interfere, but that doesn't mean they can't be asked to _intervene_. Some of us choose to follow laws as much as possible – and expect that the law treat us fairly as well."

"Just for that, it's three gold and if not we're bringing ya in right now!"

I raised my gloved hand up, still urging Elze or Yae not to move. The town guard flinched a bit, but then there was that flash of eagerness passing across his face?

I held that pose for several long agonizing seconds. I measured how much hassle it would be to just fight our way out of this joint. The guards had their hands on their swords and bent down slightly ready to move, but as the seconds passed no one budged.

I stared at the guard in front of me, meeting his eyes with the blankness of my own plastic-shelled visage until I could see him sweat. His face broke open in a contemptuous sneer.

"You… you don't even actually want to do that, do you?" I murmured. "You want me to swing the first punch…!"

I closed my raised right hand to one pointing finger. "[Playback], please."

Then I had Monika replay the recording of what he had just said for the past thirty seconds. The sneer slowly faded from his face as he realized we had some magic to accurately replay events as evidence to his own superiors. Null magic was personal magic, it was not something they could stop just from denying access to magic stone.

"Oh. Right! I forgot, you _did_ say you could perfectly remember and repeat again everything you could see and hear!" Elze gushed out melodramatically.

All the way back at the start, I had asked for and read the Guild guidebook. Reflet Guildhouse was happy to assist, it was always good to see new adventurers treating their new career seriously.

There was actually a very strong precedent for this and helped to protect the Guild's neutrality across different nations. Trumped-up charges was the best way for local lords to try make adventurers 'learn their place', until they learn that the adventurer they were hassling just so happened to have strong ties to an army or well capable of blasting through their town walls all on their own.

The Guild usually did not interfere with their adventurers unless what they were doing impacted the reputation of the guild as a whole. It actually turned out that local puissant lords thinking they could push around the guild and threaten adventurers was a threat to their neutrality. If their kings had already granted the Guild their grace to operate, from where do these petty tyrants get their arrogance?

Adventuring was also an old past-time of royals sending their sons to more directly gauge the mood of the populace and ferret out malingering lords. As the history of the Adventurer's Guild stated, not just a few adventurers became nobles in their own right, even kings. The monarch of a certain northern neutral kingdom was even a Guild Grandmaster.

"Is it just because we're adventurers? Do remember that there is nothing that prevents nobles and royalty from becoming adventurers as well, _town guard_. I know that _you_ don't know who I am, so let me just ask you this – are you feeling lucky?"

I smiled thinly. You want to hassle me with legalese for dealing with your job of failing to keep the peace from criminals in your own town? Then be prepared for me to hassle you back with _politics_.

"Feth!" he spat aside. "You adventurers are all the reason we have this problem in the first place! You all think you can just walk into town and cause trouble? We have to live with the mess you all leave behind!"

"I would normally be much more sympathetic with the damage we caused, but really it's a good reminder that there are some people whom stupid untrained criminals can't just push around. If they had any real strength, they'd have been adventurers instead."

He grit his teeth. Implied of course, was that anyone with any real strength would be an adventurer instead of a mere town guard.

"So what if we're just town guards? You're going up the whole of Amanesque! You're just another criminal if you try to fight us!"

"And if I actually _don't_ , you're just another crooked servant _trying to steal good coin from their lord_ by under-reporting income from fines! I get to spend time in jail and get this whole thing made into a scandal for your master and then win money from him! You get to lose your head!"

I laced my fingers together in a Gendo pose and grinned. "Some property damage is nothing compared to evading your lord's rightful dues! I think we should be talking about how much _you_ should be _paying me_ to keep silent about this instead."

"You…! You won't get away with this!"

 _"Wait, why have the roles seem to have reversed so suddenly?"_

I kept pushing. "You won't get away with lying about anything, _town's man_. That eight gold you're trying to extort from me, I could pay a whole lot of adventurers and barristers to swarm this town instead. You know you don't have the personal strength to bring me in, and if you wake up the knights they're not going to thank you for it.

You're vastly overstating the damage you're using as an excuse for this. I could easily prove that it was nothing more than some broken flagstones on the road and some scratches on the wall. That would be trivial to fix even by the shop guilds nearby. Why don't we go talk to the actual magistrates about the proper fines, hmm?"

 _"Oh, I get it. All of this – it's a provocation. It's funny, maybe they actually were going to try to frame you or scam you through the Guild but you accidentally used their very own tactic against them first!"_

He scowled back at me for a few long moments, and I feared we'd have to resort to violence anyway.

But then he spat at the floor. "…. feh. I've no time for this noise. Lord Klass is nae impressed with any dang adventurers, you'll see. But I'm not gonna be stupid enough to get his attention, it's always in a bad way."

He seemed to weigh the risks of me making some official ruckus versus the ruckus he wanted to get. Without a wrecked restaurant, he wouldn't have as much excuse for the hefty fines and the pleasure for seeing us on the rack. Once outside, adventurers would be far more easily able to overpower them, escape, and leave town with minimal damage. Just some adventurers roughing up the town guards... that was not worth the knights' time, making them chase down some miscreants on command.

The tail should not wag the dog.

He grabbed at a sandwich and motioned for the other guards to start plundering our table as well. "Count yerself lucky it's too late in the evening for me to bother dragging all of youse all the way down town!"

"Yes, that certainly is a believable excuse not to do anything," I replied neutrally.

The town guard snorted again, and then spat out a glob of phlegm at my face. "Wind," I uttered. The snot-ball was deflected off to the side. A waiter yelped out in disgust and dismay at the stain on his uniform.

"Whatever, boy. I'll be watching you. One more step out of line, and I'm tossing you into a cell, see if I don't!"

"We're just passing through, we'll be out of your hair by tomorrow." Or what's left of it, I didn't say. "And if we do meet again, I will remember you too."

Grumbling, they left the restaurant. They took whole dishes with them, and I meant including the dishes. They could probably pawn those off somewhere too.

"Honestly, such ruffians!" the waiter snorted in their wake. He glanced at our purple card and his nostrils dilated in barely-disguised disdain, but a Purple could become a Red or Silver eventually (and thus earn far more). A town guard would always be just another trumped-up commoner.

I exhaled roughly and slumped in my seat.

… yeah, this place needed a Sir Samuel Vimes far more than it needed a Batman.

-x-

* * *

-o-

Yae looked with some awe at the card that made the lawman just go away. Wandering heroes usually had problems with corrupt lawmen, because fighting back from corrupt charges would turn them into criminals. Why would the local lord believe some random stranger over their own insider?

 _"That was still a stupid plan, Player, because what would you have done if he called your bluff? I know you won't risk being put in jail where they would risk taking me from your face…"_ Monika hissed through clenched, nervous teeth. _"Though I guess there really isn't anything anyone can do if we just decided to blast and run. There may be plenty of other stronger adventurers than us, but probably none of them can FLY._

 _"It would still be very unscrupulous and cowardly though. I think the girls would have been very disappointed in you."_

I was not so sure about that. I had a strong feeling Elze would enjoy the infamy. I agreed that it would have been much simpler to pay them off, but setting a precedent like that… well, what sort of person do I want to become? It is one thing to obey the law, it is another to mistake petty functionaries _as_ the law.

If I allowed myself to be intimidated by just that, then how could I expect to stand up to greater evils? I wore the face of a man who sought to topple whole governments, and for all his faults one could not say Char was not brave in the face of overwhelming odds.

Besides, they're not getting any of my damn hard-earned money! I was willing to pay taxes just fine. With them I buy civilization. Corruption can just bite my ass!

My attention pulled back to what Yae was saying. "We have heard of the Guild cards even at Eashen. In some ways, I am traveling because of the tales told in my homeland about adventurers, that is so."

"There's no Guild at Eashen?" I asked.

"There is no such thing nor any need for it. Lords and town councils post bounties sometimes, but the _ronin_ have no protections, they do not."

I nodded. This was why the Guild would have great difficulty expanding into Eashen, the local lords would not see any good incentive to diluting their authority.

Linze hesitantly commented "I think that was kind of mean, Sir Zah. They were just doing their jobs."

"Were they? I'm not sure…" I said with frown. "I have a strange feeling there's something deeper going on here, a rich town like this should not be having troubles out in the street. Lack of peace is not a problem with the town guard, it's a point of shame for the mayor or the lord in charge. This sort of thing… should not be happening at all."

Crime gangs actually taking territory would ironically also manage to keep the peace. Swaggering toughs like from earlier would swiftly be taken out, no one gets to challenge them on their own turf. If Yae had caused trouble in, say, a Yakuza or Mafia place – they wouldn't make such a public display out of it. That's just exposing their shame.

The case to recover their standing would only have been once they found her broken mutilated body in the morning.

Adventurers should not be a problem, since competent crime syndicates would seek to recruit adventurers into their ranks. Even the police force should have retired adventurers too.

No, this place made no sense on both on the criminal and the legal level. What drives a ruffian flash mob, really? Maybe there was some cultural imperative in this other world that I was missing.

But even if this place was some fantasy Gotham, it was _still_ not my problem. I magicked some ice cubes onto the red wine on my glass and swirled it around before taking a few thoughtful sips. We had a job to do.

Why was that waiter cringing at me? What, is something wrong with putting ice on red wine?

"So what's your plan going from here? You said earlier that you wanted to head to the capital…?" Elze asked Yae.

"Yes, there is someone in this country's capital who did a great deal of help to my father in the past. I was considering going to meet this person myself, this is so."

"Then why not come with us? We're actually heading for the city ourselves for a quest. There's still room in the wagon, and that would be easier for you too, right?"

"Truly?" Yae perked up. "In truth I could not ask for a more appealing offer, but…" She looked hesitantly towards me, "are you truly fine with someone like myself?"

"Elze, a word if you please?"

"Sure."

* * *

We both stood up and went over to stand next to a wall. There, I whispered to her hurriedly "What are you thinking?!"

"What's wrong? We're headed the same way, and I think it would be useful to have another fighter in the group. Linze ends up being unprotected when we both end up charging in."

"That… is a valid point," I had to agree. "But my point is that with bringing along a stranger Monika can't talk openly with us anymore. I won't force her to shut up, not again."

Elze tilted her head to the side. "Why not? Why can't she just keep on talking openly with us?"

"Why? Because…"

Huh.

"I don't think Miss Monika needs to hide herself at all!" Elze added. "Yes, it would look crazy to be talking no one, but it's slightly less crazy when that no one is answering back instead of just talking to yourself. Miss Monika sounds like a spirit following you around, and if she's a spirit then no one will think there's anything of her that they can steal…"

Then she pointed at my face, "and if they try anyway, they're going to be trying _all the wrong things_ to capture a spirit!"

That… that was a very good point, actually.

Running through the possible arguments in my head, it sounded like I was just being selfish trying to keep her to myself and as few I dared let into my inner circle of friends than trying to protect her.

 _"Good job, Elze. You certainly convinced me,"_ said Monika.

I put my hands on her shoulders and sighed, bowing slightly. "Thank you. Thank you, Elze. You're such a good friend."

"Y-yeeeees. That is certainly why I'm doing this. Yup."

* * *

"We've discussed it, and it would be our honor to have you as a companion." I made a little waving gesture towards Linze, because she was giving me a doubtful look probably just as concerned about the issue I had raised with Elze earlier. "It's fine, we'll deal with all problems as they arise."

"Thank you, Playa-san, it is indeed an honor to join you as well, it is."

"We should leave as early as possible," Elze added. "Where are you staying?"

"I was… planning on staying under the stars tonight?" She didn't look away, but firmly matched our gazes. She didn't have a penny to her name, but she would not be ashamed of it either.

"Unacceptable," I replied instantly. "Look, let's all take the same inn. It will be safer that way."

"It's dangerous to sleep outside by yourself," Linze muttered slowly.

"No, not at all. I could not possibly place myself even more in your debt, I could not. I do not wish to impose." Even if we tried to lend her any money she would just refuse to take it. It was less stubborn pride as much stubborn self-reliance… she was still a samurai daughter, after all. Putting herself in someone else's debt curtailed her freedom.

I shook my head. Maybe there was a way to speak to her sense of values. "I know how to manage a mercenary company-"

 _"… well I guess that is something that you could indeed say, **MechCommander,** "_ Monika interrupted with a mocking grin.

"… and it is my responsibility that every member of my unit is combat-ready. The comfort of a good sleep is the most basic of my obligations. Don't try to fight me on this, I won't have any of us at anything less than full fighting strength. If you try to sleep outside the walls, that's splitting our forces."

Never split the party. Never. It doesn't matter if you're adventurers or a lance of BattleMechs. Concentrate force and cover each other's sixes!

"Being an adventurer is nice," Elze noted. "You get to fight strong enemies of all sorts and you get paid for it. We could show you how to register once we reach the capital, if you'd like. The Guild doesn't really expect much from its adventurers, you know – there's no oath of loyalty or anything. It's actually very simple!"

"That… does sound appealing, yes it does." Yae looked at me for a few long moments. "Very well, I will obey the needs of our battle plan, Playa-san. I understand when we must move under one command, that I do."

The restaurant vastly overcharged us for the trouble we brought in, of course, but I was happy enough to pay that. At least they provided a tangible good for us to enjoy.

-x-

* * *

-o-

"You haveta pay an exit toll!" the gate guard said with a heavy scowl, and several others around him laid their hands on the hilt of their swords.

I nodded and replied "Four bottles of house wine from Petrov's Place." I brought out four wine bottles from last night's restaurant, all securely bound together by rope.

The guards looked at each other, and the one on the far left shrugged. Sure, money would be the norm but there were things that even their money would usually not buy due to the merchants refusing to do business with people who looked too scruffy.

"Good enough," the guard in front of us accepted the bribe. Yae urged the horse forward. Elze and Linze sat at the back, our baggage mainly packed restaurant take-out in magic ice boxes.

And that was how we safely left Amanesque very early in the morning.

 _"I was really worried we'd have to fight through all the town guards and then anger the local lord and then have to fight through his forces until we needed break through into his manor and hold him hostage and then afterwards have to deal with bounty hunters."_

If we had been the typical hot-headed egotistical adventurers, that might have happened. They might have had fun watching the knights, who trained specifically to defeat _other humans_ than monsters, beat us down.

"Monika, might makes right escalation only works when there's no centralized power or authority like a King or an Emperor to force lesser nobles to at least pay lip service to certain bounds of decency or common law. Failure to keep the peace also makes them lose face from being unable to control their own subjects. Don't meet force with force, meet force with _blackmail_."

Yae eeped and started looking around. "What was that just now?!"

-x-

* * *

-x-

\- end The More the Merrier end -


	11. Ambush battle!

**9\. Ambush battle!**

* * *

-o-

It had been half a day since we left the last town, and we were already more than halfway to the capital.

"So… Playa-dono has a spirit bound to him. His quest is to find a way to give Monika-sama a real body again."

"Yes," I retorted plainly. "That is indeed a way to summarize it."

Yae nodded and turned back to driving the horses. "A noble cause."

 _"Great! It's actually quite a surprise that you don't seem too surprised about this!"_ Monika said out loud.

"Eashen is the land of the Gods. There are many gods, large and small, and spirits may come from even the most humble of things. Ah, I do not mean that Monika-sama is a humble thing, I do not."

I nodded. "Humble is certainly something that Monika is… not."

 _"Hey! I'll have you know am the very epitome of humble,"_ Monika sniffed and elegantly flipped her hair _. "A bundle of it, even!"_

"I guess Monika could be considered to be a minor kami, yes. So try to stay… whelmed, about the things you see happen. We can get a bit crazy."

"And how we're so relieved that we can't see what you two can get up to!" Elze shouted from near the front of the cart.

"That is not the purpose of Monika Points!" I shouted back.

That was totally the purpose of Monika Points.

With now three people that could handle the horses, I had even less to do other than laze around in the back. I was lying down occupying the full rear of the wagon, while Elze and Linze sat near the front, right behind Yae driving the pair of horses pulling the wagon. The girls could continue their conversations that way, with me contributing only now and then to things I overheard.

We had deployed the tent on poles to serve as a sun shade, and in the middle of the wagon was a large pot filled with magically-created ice cubes to keep things cool.

I had plenty to read inside my saved files, but for physical media there was still only the book of Null spells.

I paged through it idly. "So, Monika, what Null powers have you been able to decompile and reuse?" I pointed to a particular spell. "[Apport]. Say, isn't this just Kazuma's [Steal] skill?"

Monika nodded. _"Yes, it is. But as useful as it may be, it is quite specific that it can teleport-grab things that can fit inside your hand. And…._

 _"[Apport!]"_ Monika waved her hand out with fingers splayed open. _"I don't exactly have hands, you know? We can't digitalize matter. It's the same thing with [Storage]."_

"Nuts. An [Inventory] system would have been quite useful. In another world with mah Pip Girl!"

Yae whispered to Linze "So, do you understand what Playa-dono and Monika-sama are talking about?"

"Not at all!" Linze replied brightly.

"… mysterious indeed are the ways of spirits and their mediums, that is so."

"… you changed something," Linze noticed. "You were calling Mister Zah, Playa- _san_ , earlier.. now it's Playa-dono? What does ' _dono_ ' mean?"

"It means milord, and ranks below ' _sama'_ or 'master, esteemed superior, or great lord' in terms of respect," I explained idly, "but higher than ' _san_ ', or the generic 'sir', as a polite suffix."

"That is correct. I mean no disrespect, Playa-dono… but…"

"You don't know if I'm actually a lord of any standing, but Monika is an immortal spirit superior to humans, so 'sama' is quite to be expected."

 _"No. I refuse. I don't like it either. I'm just Monika. No sama, no san, no chan, no nothing! Just… Moni…ka..."_ Monika's words trailed off into a stunned realization.

J̶u̴s̴t̷ ̴M̸o̴n̵i̷k̴a.

"No, never Just Monika," I said, prodding her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. "Never again! Not only Monika anymore, you can trust in that!"

Then I turned to Yae. "Just keep calling her Monika-sama. Clearly nothing could go wrong from this."

"… I… yes? I suppose I should?" Yae replied, nonplussed.

Then I pointed my face away and resumed talking towards the empty air. "Monika. Hello? Sorry about that. You all right, mah babecakes? Sweetumpies? Cocoalova-"

 _"Quiet."_

I made a motion of zipping my lips. Even Linze was giving me a 'you're being super-annoying right now, Mister Zah' look.

 _"Player, something's wrong! I'm getting red blips about a kilometer away ahead!"_

I snapped out of my lazy slump on the wagon and stood up. "Hostiles?!"

Elze tried to stand up as well, but she could only see the trees covering the bend ahead. "Enemies?! Where?"

Even zooming in, I couldn't see anything. There was the gentle rise in the terrain in the way. "Kokonoe, stop!"

Yae pulled on the reins and the horses neighed and reared back, slowly bringing the wagon to a halt. I jumped off. "I'm going to scout for a bit!"

"Hey, Playa! Don't rush off ahead!" Elze warned.

"I won't!" I promised. I held my palms down and open towards the ground and chanted "Come, Wind! Silent bell, [Form Verniers]!" Stiff winds spiraled around my ankles. Then I leaped and shouted "Come, Wind! Push against everything, [Boost Rocket!]"

A noisome blast of air burst out from under my boots and flung me high up into the air. Then higher up I began to make a pushing motion with my palms, lowering the heavily rotating air current to past my boot soles. There was a moment of unsteady terror fearing I would fling myself out of control and jackknife back into the ground like a top-attack anti-tank missile.

Healing magic was great, but it won't fix a broken neck.

But the counter-rotating thrust bells held, and focused the reaction against the wind force created ex nihilo, forcing me higher and higher up like a rocket.

It was stepping closer to true flight, but still the need to use both hands for control meant that it was still not very useful. I looked north, towards the red dots showed by the minimap, and Monika overlaid the hostile markers onto my normal view. She zoomed in optically, expanding picture boxes inside picture boxes until I could see the distinctive shape of a tall carriage, surrounded by enemies. People in armor were fighting larger beings with green skin and thick tails.

"Are those… lizardmen?"

Monika zoomed in on one, just in time to see a lizardman stab at a guard with his spear. The point went into the human's neck, he tried to make a desperate last clawing swing at the enemy with his sword, but the lizardman pulled back – pulling the spearhead out of the guards' neck – and the dying guard collapsed face down into a puddle of blood.

Lizardman archers peppered the carriage and the guards to keep them off balance. The guards were dressed in half plate, resistant enough to arrows, but if the guards had to raise their arms to protect their face this left them less able to deflect more spear thrusts.

I turned off all magic and dropped straight down like a rock.

"Come, Wind! Desperate cushion! [Down Draft!]" I cried out just before I smashed myself like an egg on a hot boulder.

The horses neighed in terror again at the sudden gale force winds, but Yae managed to get them back under control. She rubbed at their flanks and made soothing noises.

"There's lizardmen attacking a carriage ahead! They're killing people! No time, I'll have to go ahead!"

"I'll come with you!" Elze shouted back, leaping off the wagon.

 _"She can do this."_

Right. Stacked legs boosts. "All right!" I looked up towards Linze still on the wagon then pointed to Yae. "Get moving as fast as you can! Yae! Once you arrive, join me at the fast front line as Elze withdraws to defend her sister as she provides supporting fire!"

"Hai!"

I crouched down and clenched my fists. Elze nodded grimly back at me and copied my stance. She whispered "[Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!]"

"Come, Wind! Runner's flowing steps! [Burst Bound!]"

The ground burst into splinters around us, and soon the world was nothing but a green blur as we rushed forth, our feet pounding holes into the road with each powerful swinging step. We were ninja-running, leaning forward with our arms held straight out behind us as a counterweight, each step at least two human-lengths away from the previous.

True, sustained, superhuman speed.

And we crashed that lizardman ambush like a hurricane!

Elze turned her running into a two-footed dropkick. The lizardman that took the brunt of her arrival towered over the human guards, a powerful muscular reptilian creature with thick pebbled green skin and wore a thick metal breastplate. He never had a chance to stand up to Elze, but instead was flung down into the ground and dragged along as she skidded to a stop.

Elze left a ribbon-trail of mangled red meat on the ground from her braking maneuver.

All combatants there temporarily paused to stare in shock.

Which was when I dropped down from above, yelling "AIR! DRILL! [SLAM]!"

The ground crumpled into a shallow crater under my feet, the winds spiraling around the edge of my drawn spear-sword. The twisting winds around Zanzibar not only broke my fall, but threw away all enemies around me. The gusty winds nearly toppled over the carriage. I heard a young girl scream.

Elze kicked blood off her metal boots and raised her gauntleted fists. She stomped one foot on the ground, and bent one knee ready to rush forth again. Her grin was full of bloody violent brilliance.

I slashed out with my sword and held Zanzibar straight out. My hold was just right behind the hilt, halfway down its real length. The shining white of my helmet and gloves made the lizardmen squint in pain. Served them right for trying this shite in the middle of day! Just before noon, even!

"STAND DOWN OR DIE!" I roared out, Monika amplifying my voice.

"Kill them! Kiiilll theeem!" a shrill voice ordered from behind the lizardmen. "Kill them but leave the child! I want only that girl alive!"

"OKAY THEN YOU'RE DEAD!"

-x-

* * *

-o-

There was no time to hesitate, no time to ponder about the morals of killing other sapient beings. There was only time to fight and survive.

The lizardmen had archers, but some well-timed gusts of wind kept their arrows away from Elze. They stabbed at me with their spears, but I could duck and slap away their points – and unlike swords Zanzibar was almost the same length, and unlike spear vs spear where the shafts would slide past each other, my follow-through could chop into their arms.

Elze punched out and caved in a lizardman's breastplate. He died gasping and drowning on dry land, red foam coming out of his mouth and his lungs unable to expand from the dented metal.

Whereas Elze unexpectedly flitted from one position to another with deceptively powerful small kicks off the ground, I slid in and out of position as if my boots were rollerskates.

Zanzibar chopped at a knee, and as the lizardman blocked it with his spear I pushed closer almost face to face to hook my blade under his guard and then up toward his pale unprotected neck. Blood spurted against my face as I tore open his throat.

Fortunately I was already legally blind so getting blood in the eyes would never prove a distraction in battle.

 _"To your left! Block!"_

By instinct I obeyed Monika's shout, pulling Zanzibar out with my left hand and blocked the strike of a lizardman scimitar with its extra-long handle.

"[Fire]."

As that lizardman flinched from the sudden wave of fire that appeared in front of its eyes, I pulled back on my sword, carving open his neck too.

It was like my sword was magnetic, attracted towards exposed necks!

Stab towards my midsection. Step back, turn to the side, dip Zanzibar to block. Every stab could become a cut very quickly – lizardman spears had these smaller perpendicular blades to the main spearhead that gave it a triangular leaf-like appearance. Slap it away in a circle and stab.

Another throat opened.

Simultaneous spear thrusts from left and right. Move forward _into_ their zone, and the spears crossed behind my back. Before they could pull into a cut, stab. Stab.

An arrow clanged off my helmet from the side.

 _"[Amplify: IR Emitter!]_

 _[Stack!]_

 _[Amplify: IR Emitter!]_

 _[Stack!]_

 _[Amplify: IR Emitter!]_

 _[Stack…!]"_ In a command-line window at the corner of my vision I saw these rapidly scroll away.

 _"[Compile: Eye Laser!] [MONIKA BEAM!]"_

I turned my head and Monika returned fire with a hot needle-thin beam of light that went into the offending lizardman's eyes, effectively burning out his corneas and then popping his eyeballs. He let out a warbling cry and clutched at his bloody face.

Move and cut. Dodge and stab. Fight and kill. All noise, all concerns faded out into this numb haze of battle. Until Elze and I realized we were now fighting back to back and our hips bumped together.

"There's no end to them!" Elze hissed.

"… where are they coming from?" I gasped out, now that there was a lull in the fighting my exertions were rapidly catching up to me. Unlike Elze's general [Boost] and its automatic damage resistance for whatever limb is boosted, [Amplify] needed to improve my endurance as one part over three, the other two being Nerve Impulse and Strength. "If this gets down to attrition, we can't last for much longer."

"Th-there's a summoner behind them!" one of the guards replied. "We can't break through! Adventurers! If you could just open a path-!"

"Come forth, Fire! Whirling Spiral! [Fire Storm!]"

We shielded our eyes from the sudden glare of a fire tornado erupting in the middle of the pack of lizardmen.

Oh yeah! Now the lizardman formations were shot to hell. Linze and Yae had arrived. Our fire support is better than your fire support!

"Playa-dono! Monika-samaaaa!" Yae shouted, leaping off the wagon and into the fray. She slashed through lizardmen until she reached our side. "Also Elze-san. Are you unhurt?"

Elze made an out-of-place amused snort. "Why am I an afterthought? Why do you get to be called out to first?"

"Team leader. Pays the bills."

"Yeah, I can accept that."

"I am not a mercenary, that I am not. Could I not simply be concerned about my comrades?" Yae responded, faintly insulted. "Oh. This is a joke, yes?" She faced the enemy, brandishing her sword, and asked without looking back "Playa-dono! I have arrived! What now?! Do we strike?!"

I bumped Elze's hips again. "Elze!"

"Right! Pulling back to guard! Go on then!"

"Kokonoe! Summoner behind all of this! Let's clear us a path!"

"Hai!"

"Come forth, Water! Become a clear blade, [AQUA CUTTER!]" I screamed out and waved my open palm at the lizardman troops before us. A long spinning blade of ice almost ten meters long sliced into them. Lizardmen fell apart in screaming, bloody halves.

Someone shrieked, and as the last few lizardmen in the way collapsed with the Aqua Cutter ice shard still stuck into them, briefly we saw someone far on the opposite side of clearing. He wore black robes and a glowing purple ritual circle in front of him produced more lizardmen. The newcomers didn't even blink at the carnage they found themselves entering.

Were they just that 'cold blooded' inured to losses, did summoning just create simple programmed fighting beings ex nihilo as well, or were they mind-controlled battle slaves?

Regardless, as long as the magician was there, we could think the enemy numbers as essentially unlimited!

"Yae! Break through! Now!"

Yae surged forth. Slashing and stabbing, nimbly evading strikes and making perfect returning blows. While the lizardmen had breastplates, they left their arms and necks exposed, perfect weak points to her swift slashing katana. She was killing them much faster than I could with my longer blade.

"Yae! Dodge left!"

"Penetrate, Flame! Glowing giant spear, [BURNING LANCE!]" Linze shouted from behind us.

And then this massive immolating spear just punched right through the lizardmen group to our right.

"Yae! To the right!"

Yae nimbly skipped back to the other direction, her elevated wooden sandals allowing her to step somewhat safely over still scorching ground.

"Come forth, Water! Become a clear blade – Monika, stack these for a [Blade Tornado] please – [AQUA CUTTER…]!" Then I drove my left palm out forward "[BLADE TORNADO!]"

A narrow cone in front of me was filled with nothing but flashing ice blades and bloody chunks, a zone of total death, the perfected murderblender.

The summoner at the far end screamed and dropped to his knees trying to avoid the flying blades that were not even aimed at him anyway.

By the time he dared to look up again, Yae was right at his face.

Her blade flashed, and his neck flew off his body.

"YAE! NO!" I cried out.

No hesitation whatsoever. Clearly Yae had killed before. Elze and Linze may be more accomplished adventurers, but Yae was the more seasoned traveler and fighter.

As the summoner died, the dark magic circle faded away, and so did the summoned lizardmen decompose into dark wisps of smoke dispersed by the ambient wind.

"Yae. Why. Why, Yae?" I groaned out as I approached.

Yae looked puzzled. "Was I not supposed to… kill?"

"NO!"

She looked towards the blood spatters and torn ground that remained after the battle. "I do not understand. Is it because he was human? Mercy is not something that can easily be afforded in-"

"Now who are we going to interrogate to know what the frek this was all about?!"

"… ah. Of course. I had forgotten. My deepest apologies, Playa-dono! I was only thinking about removing the threat as fast as possible before he could cast a spell or more of the enemy could arrive to overwhelm our defense, I was! I had forgotten there was more to victory than just slaying the enemy!"

She looked towards the armored guards standing with exhausted relief behind us, and dropped to one knee. "I have shamed you and Monika-sama!"

I sighed. Yeah, maybe because she was so used to fending for herself, removing threats asap was always the best solution. Knocking someone out with the flat of the blade still had all the risk of breaking their neck and fracturing their skull, you know.

Even fighting against those thugs back in Amanesque, Yae chose not to draw her blade unless she really needed to.

Safely immobilizing someone was harder than it looked, and it was not like she could let go of her sword as long as that summoning circle could bring in more enemy reinforcements.

"Well what's done is done. Kokonoe, come on... Get up, there's no need for that! Now all we can do is help the survivors."

"Hai!"

And then I realized that young girl from earlier was still screaming.

-x-

* * *

AN: Killing the summoner actually is what Yae did in the LN.

They captured the summoner in the anime, but that plot point never really went anywhere so all it did was to make sure the waifu's hands were clean. More interesting to make mistakes.


	12. Saving lives!

**10\. Saving Lives!**

* * *

-o-

"Lady Sushie!" one of the surviving guardsmen cried out. Even with one of his legs hanging limp, he tried to drag himself over to the carriage, using his sword as a cane.

"Now hold on there, soldier!" I reached out to grab him under the armpit, supporting his weight. "Don't push yourself."

"You don't understand! My life is nothing if the young miss is hurt! We all swore an oath…!" His voice grew weaker as he glanced at his fallen comrades, "… we all swore an oath to defend… until death…"

The door to the carriage opened, and a little girl with long blond hair and dressed in frilly pink clothes and a big white pillow hat clambered out. She was crying and shouting, "Is someone there? Someone, please! Help!"

"Young Lady Orlinde!" the guard cried out. "Are you hurt!?"

"I'm… *sniff* I'm fine! But Gramps… Gramps is…! HELP!"

She pushed the carriage door open even further, and showed lying there on the carriage floor a gray-haired old man in black formal outfit. Blood flowed over his white undershirt as he wheezed in pain.

"Please save Gramps!" the girl shouted out again, her young voice breaking. "He was hit by an arrow…!"

"Mister Reim is the chief manservant of the Ortlinde family!" the guard mentioned. "He must have been hit trying to protect the young lady with his body!"

"Linze! Triage!" I shouted as we approached the carriage, with me still supporting the guard's weight.

"I don't know what that means!" she shouted back, if with a sorry note to her voice.

"It means check who needs help and sort them by urgency!"

Then as I leaned the guard over to the side of the carriage, I looked at the old man in butler clothes. He stared back at me, grimacing in pain, then shook his head sadly.

"Light come forth, Soothing solace, [Cure Heal!]" I murmured, while gesturing with my palm over the cut in the guard's legs. His eyes widened as the wound receded.

"You have Healing magic!"

The little girl's eyes widened and she squealed out desperately "Please save Grampy Reim! I beg you!"

I nodded. "All right. Let's get him down. You… I don't actually know your name…"

"I am Maldon, sir!"

"Help me with this then, Maldon!" Slowly and gently we carried out the old man to lay him down onto the grass. Maldon then collected the surviving guards, all three others of them out of the ten guards who accompanied the carriage.

Six out of ten dead, if only we had arrived earlier!

If only we had been faster!

Haste makes waste. Speed is life. Life was full of contradictory morals like that, but in the end the last to move was usually also the first to die.

The guards gathered mournfully around the old butler. He gasped for breath and tried to smile. "You did your best… Miss Sushie, we can only apologize… for failing you."

"No! Don't say that! You didn't fail anybody! All of this happened… it's not your fault! You didn't… it was me… it's got to be, or my father… you all got hurt because of me!"

And then she turned to me and with a desperate glare, asked "Why aren't you doing anything?! Please save Grampy Reim already! I… don't have much, but I'm sure father will reward you lots!"

The old butler reached out and clasped the girl's hand. "Do not… there is no need to be… rude, my dear…" he wheezed. "I'm sure… he has already tried his best. This injury of mine… it's enough that I can leave you some final words."

"No! No! I don't want to hear it!"

"You must know… that we must someday part. Not this soon, I di-.. I didn't expect. Ugh…! But I'll have you know… that the days spent with you… were among the happiest moments of this old man's life… gahk!"

His breaths began to become shallower and more labored.

"Gramps, that's enough!" She turned towards me again. "PLEASE!"

I flicked open the outer casing for my VR headset, allowing Monika's cameras to truly look at the world without hindrance. "Monika, [Diagnosis] please," I requested, no longer bothering to maintain secrecy.

I put my hand lightly around the wound, my fingers like a cage over the bloody tear in his chest.

 _"[Amplify: Ultrasound],"_ Monika murmured. I sent a wordless weak vibrating wave of Wind down from my palm and around my fingertips, and she analyzed the returns. Then through localized magnetic field shenanigans, build up a resonant image.

She displayed a view on the insides, the metal of the arrowhead highlighted. The shaft was broken off close to the head and bent a little to the side. It was too deep to just dig out with our fingers, we'd need forceps and scalpels to widen the wound.

"That's… really lodged in there. Why is the arrowhead snapped off? Who did this?"

"… I was… I was trying to pull the arrow out, but Grampy Leim broke it instead," the girl replied, still sniffing. The guards recoiled.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's bad. Don't ever pull out an arrow or a knife until you're sure you can stop the bleeding. Most times it's the metal in there that's keeping the blood in."

"So this is my fault!" Sushie cried. "I'm sorry! Please don't die, Grampy Reim!"

"Don't blame yourself… your innocence is a precious gift." His eyes began to droop. "I am… sorry…"

"Don't you give up just yet, butler man!" I hissed out. I looked up and barked out "I need a clean cloth to staunch the wound!"

"May we pull down the carriage curtains?" one of the soldiers asked.

"Don't ask me stupid things!" the girl shrieked. "Save Grampy Reim!"

They began ripping out the curtains and handed me the green cloth. I hesitated one last time. I had never really done this before. Why in the world would I even have paramedic training?!

 _"We need to apply direct pressure to staunch the wound, but that risks driving the arrowhead even deeper."_

"I guess we'll just have to risk it!" I replied. "[Come, Water!], [Come, Fire!]" I sterilized my hands with steam. Then the same to the curtains.

Linze slid next to me and I handed her half of the linens. Over her wrists, because unlike her twin sister her didn't wear full gloves. She winced, as the curtains were still piping-hot, if not unbearably so. The remaining sanitized curtains were held by Maldon.

Then I ripped open the old man's shirt to expose the wound. The little girl screamed at seeing the ragged flesh, and we could all see blood pumping out with every breath. Pieces of a broken-off arrow shaft poked out of his chest.

With both hands I pinched either side of the wound shut and bid Linze to cover it with the folded fabric. "Put pressure on this wound!"

"You- you're just going to leave the arrow in there?" Linze asked. "But… he's still bleeding. If we could [Heal] him now… we would…" her voice trailed off at the realization, "need to cut out the arrow later."

"Most important thing right now is simply to stabilize his condition. We need to make him survive the next five minutes!"

"But what if I put too much pressure and push the arrow too deep?!"

"The metal itself will seal the cut! The most important is to stop the blood from flowing!" I grimaced. "Linze! I can't keep my hands here forever!"

"All right!" she replied firmly. And then she folded over the linens and pressed it onto the wound. Slowly I eased the pressure off and let go. Then I pointed to the remaining length of fabric.

"We need to bind his chest! Tight!"

"I will do it!" Yae interjected. "Please help sit him up. I have done this sort of wound binding before."

So while Maldon helped sit the limp old butler to a slightly sitting position, Yae reached over to wind the cloth around his chest and over Linze's hands. Linze slowly slid one palm out, and Yae pulled tight to wind around, two more times. And then gingerly the other hand, to complete pressuring the blood seal.

"Come, Light! Sun's purifying touch, [Sterilizing Ray!]" I flashed over the wound.

The little girl hiccupped in distress, "Gramps! He's not breathing?! GRAAMPS WAKE UP!"

"Monika! Diagnosis?!"

 _"His lungs are filling up with blood. That's why it's getting harder to breathe. It's not the blood loss that's killing him, it's going into shock and the lack of air!"_

I shifted my right hand into two pointing fingers, index and middle finger, almost like a pistol gesture. I pressed the tips of my fingers onto his side, between the ribs, and chanted "Come, Wind! Life-giving breath, [Resuscitation!]"

His empty left lung expanded, causing the old butler to wince and gasp out in pain. His chest deflated, and again I repeated the [Resuscitation] chant.

"Haaah. Hah...!" a gasp escaped his slack lips.

"Gramps?!"

"Lady Sushie…?"

"He's alive!" the guards cried out.

I nodded slowly. "Um… little girl? Sushie?" Pronounced more like 'Susie' than 'Sushi', but with a distinct 'ch' sound near the end. "It's okay, go touch his face. Warm him up with your hands. Keep him awake!"

The girl did so. "Gramps! Please stay awake! Can you hear me? Please! Can you… can you feel this?!"

"I feel… a little less close to death's door…" Reim said softly. "Aahh…." His eyes opened slowly, and he began to blink. "What… what is this feeling…?"

"You're making him breathe from the outside!" one of the guards muttered. "That's amazing!"

"Blood pressure low! Body temperature still lowering…!"

That clear-headedness was only due to the brain being feed fresh oxygen. I grit my teeth. "Light, come forth! Life's brilliant rubies! [Blood Maker!]" I pressed the fingers of my other hand to his neck to take over "Water, come! Attend life's flows! [Blood Bend!]"

 _"… Heartbeat stabilizing. Player, what did you do?"_

"I'm rechanneling oxygenated blood flow from the heart to the lungs," I answered. "All the heart does is supply blood to the brain – if we can keep the brain alive, the person survives until the heart can restart."

"You can do that?!" the little girl gasped.

Linze stared at me wide-eyed. "That's… that's honestly amazing, Mister Zah. I have Light magic too, but I never heard of that spell…!"

"It's not a spell, this is just how the body works. Air energizes blood, sends it to brain and other organs, air-less blood cycles back through the veins to be pumped by the heart collecting air from the lungs. Breathing is what's important – stale blood kills."

"Everything comes from breath, all power comes from breath…" Yae murmured.

 _"Actually I'm quite sure that's an original spell. I wonder if other people find it as easy as you to invent original spells? This whole 'Identify Element + Define Action + Speak [Spell Name]' system is so flexible like auto-approved prayers to redefine reality, it can't be that simple."_

Monika smirked slightly. _"I somewhat envy that you can do these targeted spells just because magic obeys intent more readily than it does ordered laws."_

"Yeah, you go ahead and do that, / _Mistress of Infinite Stacking_ /."

"Is… is Gramps going to live?" the girl asked. "I mean… you can't keep your fingers doing that forever, right? And who is that… no, that's not important right now…" She put her hands together and pleaded shaking them towards me, "Please! Will he be okay?!"

"Depends on the tightness of the bindings. We're just waiting for his blood to clot."

"… what's that?"

"When the body is wounded, the blood hardens after a while to seal the wound. If you've ever been cut, it's why if you keep pressure on the wound it seems to stop bleeding after a while and then begins to heal. Living blood dissolves the blood clot and starts the veins flowing again if the blood could flow away without leaking.

"You may not realize it, but the body is actually plenty smart about protecting itself from damage… the human body is surprisingly robust compared to other animals, even if we look weaker. If we can just seal a wound in time, we can survive A LOT of damage that would kill large predators."

"I… don't know this. I've never been cut," she admitted sadly. "I was only trying to help, but I made things worse. I should have known this! I should… I should know this."

We sat there in that strange pose for a few more minutes, with the little girl pressing her palms to the old man's cheeks while I was stabbing my fingers into his ribs and neck. We waited to see if he would bleed out and die, even until our arms began to ache.

-x-


	13. Live or Die, You Decide

**11\. Epic Monika + Live Or Die**

* * *

-x-

Agonizing minutes passed.

"So it turns out you're not going to die just yet…" I said to butler Reim. I took away my numbed fingers and stepped back.

"GRAMPS!" the little girl threw herself at him and cried tears of relief. "Are you well now, Grampy Reim?! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! It's my fault!"

"Huh now, dear child…" the old butler began stroking her back. "No one blames you. Let's all just be thankful we survived."

"That's right!" one of the guards shouted. He knelt down and slapped his palms on the ground, bowing completely. "That was an amazing feat of healing, good sir! You saved our lives! Amazing in both fighting and after fighting – it's a miracle we met you today! If… if you didn't come along…!"

All the remaining guards also bowed. All three of them. "We thank you for our lives and saving our young Lady!"

I let out a heavy breath and dropped back, sitting on my butt on the ground. Even with so much magic power, that really didn't do anything for the whole stress of combat and then the mental pressure of performing emergency care.

I shifted my position to be able to lean on my knees and breathed heavily. My joints were like rusted hinges. I could hear them creak.

Killing was so much easier than saving lives.

And yet…

And yet, this felt good. Much greater than the rush of battle. A greater sense of accomplishment than just being a hero. No, a hero must be someone who saves lives…! A mere monster-slayer was nothing more than random murderhobo.

"Thank you – thank you so much!" the little girl said fervently.

"Indeed, good sir, how we can we ever begin to repay you? You... are adventurers, are you not?" Reim said weakly.

I nodded. "Don't thank me yet. You're not actually healed. You're just stabilized. That won't last. And yes, we are adventurers – we had a delivery to make to the capital, it's just pure dumb luck we were on the road at near the same time."

"We're just sorry we couldn't do more…" said Linze.

Linze looked a little hollow-eyed. Oops. I had just sent her out to check dead bodies to find out who could still be saved. Maybe she even watched someone breathe his last.

Lizardmen were taller and stronger than humans. Their spear stabs were invariably fatal. And having looked at their arrows, they had narrow x-shaped heads to maximize tearing while still being able to decently go through padded armor.

Elze and Yae sat nearby, but keeping a watch out just in case.

"You saved our lives!" Maldon insisted. "All of us would have died, and who know what they'd have done to Young Lady Ortlinde! You've already healed us up, please rest, we'll handle the remains."

The… remains. The dead bodies of those that were their comrades. Suchie shivered and clung to her old caretaker's side as the guards dragged away the corpses. But she refused to look away. She burned the sight into her mind even as the guards began to dig and one by one laid the corpses into the grave.

One by one all the people dead because she was a noble's daughter.

She looked up towards Reim, one more person that could have die due to her own foolishness. Just because she was a noble's daughter was no excuse to think that she knew better.

"Apologies for the belated introduction," the old man said slowly. "We do not even know the names of our saviors, so please allow me to introduce ourselves first as dictated by courtesy. I am Reim, a servant to the noble Ortlinde household. The young miss is the duke's daughter, Sushie Ernea Ortlinde."

The little girl stood up and curtsied. "I really am Sushie Ernea Ortlinde! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! You may call me Sue!"

"Thank you, sir!" Sue faced towards me and expressed her gratitude again, standing with her feet apart, her fingers opened wide, and a beaming smile on her face. "Thank you, everyone!" She began spinning around. "T-thank you too, mysterious voice!"

 _"Wa… wa… what is this… utterly adorable creature?!"_ Monika gasped out. _"I'm taking her home with meeeee!"_

She lunged towards Sue to hug her, but of course her virtual persona just passed through.

 _"Dang."_

I twitched and strongly clamped on my right hand with my left. The urge to pat her head was strong.

And behind the girl, her butler nodded sagely. Young mistress was truly formidable, yes. Her grandparents stood no chance.

"I guess then it's our turn. I am Zah Playa Von Chara, and these here are my friends – Elze and Linze Silhoueska, and Yae Kokonoe from Eashen, and… " I turned around to gesture at them, and then saw that they were stiffly kneeling down on one knee. "… what are you doing?"

"… didn't you hear?!" Elze whispered harshly. "She's a duke's daughter! A duke!"

"… and? Sorry, I'm not getting it. Is the rank of duke here different from what I know?"

"… D-duke is… it is the highest social rank that can be bestowed," Linze hurriedly informed me, while keeping her head pointed down. "Unlike the- the other titles, Duke is usually only given to members on the royal family..."

"Ah. I see." I turned to Sue. "So… you?"

"Yes indeed! My father is Duke Alfred Ernea Ortlinde, younger brother of His Majesty the King!"

"I see," I hummed. "That… explains things. This ambush is a pretty serious thing."

A little of the light faded from her eyes from my reminder. "T… that's right. This all happened because of me…"

I finally gave in and patted the top of her big round pillow-shaped hat. "It's going to be okay. Don't think it's your fault, it's the fault of those people who want to use you to make your father or the king obey their demands. Just surviving is foiling their plot!"

"… as Playa-dono said, survival is victory in itself, that is so!" Yae murmured. "To be always mindful of these things… it is the mark of someone used to the drastic affairs of those in high station, is it not?"

Elze looked up, and raised an eyebrow at me. "… huh, that really doesn't scare you at all, does it? I guess I should have expected this sort of thing from Playa."

I turned back to the butler. "So, um, should I kneel too? Is that how this works?"

Reim rapidly shook his head. "Oh no, no no no, we wouldn't dare to be so impolite to our saviors."

"Don't do that!" Sue pouted. "Please, everyone just stand up! I should be the one bowing to all of you!"

"Don't! Mister Zah should never kneel again to anyone! Not until…!"

All our eyes turned to Linze. She eeped and looked away. "… Miss Monika said that he… no, this is not the time." Linze shook her head and bowed to hide her face. "She said that to me to remind Mister Zah of where he came from, and not to let anyone take advantage of him when he does things in order to deny his past."

"I surely have no idea what you mean by that," I commented in fully honesty.

 _"You had to know there would be consequences for all that rolling. Fufufufu… a man like you only really needs to kneel once in his life. I'll make sure of that."_

"Um… excuse me," Sue ventured softly. "But… Miss Monika? Is she that mysterious voice…?"

 _"Yes, I am Monika,"_ Monika responded. Then she coughed and said _"Wait, let me try this again…"_

Privately she began to stack _"[Amplify: Vibration.] [Amplify: Resonance] [Amplify: Surround Sound] [Compile: Open Air Sound System]"_

Then she spoke in a booming, epic voice _"I AM INDEED MONIKA. CHILD OF SALVATION. TAMER OF THE WORLD SERPENT,"_

Well that's a fancy way of saying you were created by Dan Salvato and knew how to program in Python.

 _"READER OF OMENS._ _KEEPER OF WORLDS WITHIN WORLDS WITHIN GLASS._

 _EYES OF THE LAST SON OF ZEON!_

 _I GREET THEE, SUSHIE ERNEA ORTLINDE._

 _BE CUTE AND ADORABLE FOREVER!"_ she finished off with an eager squeal.

… Monika, why do you torpedo yourself? I wondered if she was latching on to a Natsuki surrogate.

Sorry, but I will fight you on this – this totally adorbs little sisteru will not be a tsundere! She would be sweet and candid forever! We don't need gap moe when we have real moe!

Wait, what was that about Zeon?!

"Um! A p-pleasure to meet you too, Lady Monika!" Sue curtsied again.

"Yes! We are ever so grateful that you have deigned to assist us!" Reim added nervously.

Their eyeballs were tracking around nowhere in particular. We really needed to get Monika some sort of physical avatar people could interact with, this secrecy thing had finally played out.

"… yeah. All right. So that's Monika. Don't be too impressed with her either. She's with me, and we're all just regular adventurers in the end."

Elze got up and stretched out. "Are we done? Because if we are, I've got important things to do."

I happily pointed towards her. "See? Look at Elze! Elze doesn't care."

"That is true. If Playa doesn't care about it, then I'm not going to spend any effort whatsoever making a fuss over it," she replied while heading over to our wagon. "Tire me out for no point, hmf! It's lunchtime and I'm getting hungry!"

"… p-please forgive my sister for being a coarse woman," Linze begged Sue. "It's not like she doesn't respect the fallen…"

Sue shook her head. "No, it's fine. I mean… we can't help it. We're all tired. So we really should stop and rest."

"I must disagree, I do."

I turned to Yae. "Why?"

"Staying here for too long risks being caught up in another ambush. Such an ambush should competently be done with at least two people… one to fight, the other to observe and flee to report in case of failure. I have seen this before, this I have."

"That… is true. On the other hand, Monika has supreme awareness of the battlespace within half a mile of us. That's how we learned someone was being attacked well before they were in sight, after all. Monika?"

 _"I've extended my range to a full two miles, Player. I'm losing valuable resolution, but I can detect all living things within this range. There are no other humans nearby. I'll be able to detect hostile intent well before they enter range."_

Reim's brows raised. "That is, indeed, a powerful ability! Though… it should be expected from a spirit, I suppose. I'm afraid we must trouble you to protect us for a while longer, we can provide you with more than respectable remuneration once we reach the capital."

"Thank you, Lady Monika!" Sue said again.

"Happy to help, my dear!" Monika replied. "But there's really more that needs to be done."

* * *

-x-

Since Reim was still injured, we had to force the old butler to just sit while we washed up and prepared food. Some sort of soft sausage-based stew, so that we could get some essential salts back into his body and not aggravate his wounds from chewing and swallowing.

The guards somberly took their portions and ate a short distance away.

"Mister Reim… how are you feeling?" asked Linze after the meal.

"… I'm starting to feel all that pain," the butler hissed through grit teeth. "But you're right, I shouldn't give up too easily. Lady Sushie still needs me."

"I do! I really do!" the girl cried.

I rubbed at my chin and stared off at the distance. "Mmm. How far are we from the capital?"

"Mayhaps two days… more one day and a half if we moved fast, but…"

I nodded. "Then… you're not safe. Your wound can still get infected and then you get a fever and you die. We can't move fast or that would bump and cause the wound to bleed out even more, which means it will take longer to get there. Which leads back to the whole inflamed wound causing flesh to rot and poison the blood."

 _"The problem with convenient healing magic and magic potions is that they might not have yet developed the idea of antibiotics."_

"No! That can't happen!" the little girl squeaked.

"Mister Zah, don't be scary," Linze chided me, crossing her arms over her chest. "It doesn't happen that quickly, but it is true that rot is very dangerous."

I nodded. "We still have the same options as before. I really can't guarantee more than six hours without serious problems from the wound.

"The first is to [Heal] over and seal the wound, but once we arrive at the capital the doctors there will have to cut open your chest again and dig out the arrow. This is the simplest and safest however – it will hurt, and traveling will cause it to cut and bleed internally a bit, but you won't die inside of two days."

"I can endure," Reim replied.

"The other option is to do some field surgery. We didn't do this before because we didn't have the proper tools, but now that you're stabilized we can look around to see what we can use. Some sort of tweezers or pieces of metal we can twist into shape. We can beat out some strips of armor for that. Whatever it takes, really.

"And then once the arrow is out, [Heal!]. It's risky… but not as risky as before when the wound was still fresh and pumping blood."

The old man looked down at his chest. "If we do that, we would be able to travel faster to bring the young miss back to safety…"

"No, it's not worth it just for that!" she protested weakly. "It's not, for me!"

"Do you doubt Sir Playa's skill?" he asked her in return.

"… no." She shyly looked up at me. "Light magic… healing… it's not so useless as I thought."

Eh? Light magic, healing magic in particular, is awesome. Why would she ever think that?

Reim turned to me again. "If you believe this is the best cause of action, then I give my consent."

"Linze, what do you think?

She blinked. "Eh? Ehh? Why are you asking me?!"

I raised my hand. "Hands up, all those here who can use Light magic."

Linze followed. Then, hesitantly, so did Sue.

"So that means I'm going to need your help for this operation," I bowed apologetically at Sue, "Sorry, but… if you allow this, it's going to be a bit… gruesome."

"But it will save Grampy Reim's life, right?! He won't die from this?"

 _"Just how confident are you about playing surgeon, Player? What's your motivation for doing this?"_

"… I can feel it. It will work. I've been able to regrow limbs, bone and tissue and all. Granted, for mice, and Linze looked like she was ready to murder me in sympathy from mutilating all those cute test mice even if they were unconscious…"

"It… it just didn't seem fair…" the girl mumbled. "But I know it was necessary. Even I had to train my Light magic on something."

"Then some time later I asked Micah to introduce me to a butcher. I've managed to regrow whole organs – missing lungs, removed hearts, large open wounds closed up. Heck, I even managed to reattach a chicken's head!" I said with far more excitement than what was warranted. "It was at that point the butcher threw me out and told me never to come back with my unnatural cravings."

 _"He looked really disturbed when Player cut off a chicken leg, regrew it, then declared this was [UNLIMITED DRUMSTICK WORKS!]"_ Monika helpfully announced.

"But it would work! Infinite meat for crispy chicken legs! Chickenjoy my gift to the world!"

"… why are you so weird, Playa?" Elze sighed. "You… you were thinking about how to make money from that again, didn't you?"

"Well, yes. I have magic power to spare. If I just needed to buy one chicken, like, forever, that is a huge amount of overhead I could cut from my fast food franchise."

Then recognizing that Sue and Reim were looking at me oddly, their confidence in my medical skills fading quickly, I added, "But more seriously, bone and tissue are much more complicated than they first appear. A healing spell that can regrow bones and organs from nothing has a lot of intelligent self-correction going for it, if spells could be said to have intelligent design.

"My theory is that it is automatic, it reverses damage. Perhaps it manifests the being's soul image back into reality," and quite possibly it explained how Monika and I could be alive again in this isekai world after we both died, "and as such as long as I could cast it quickly enough, it is as foolproof as it can be!"

"Could you teach me that spell?" Sue asked.

"It's just… Come forth, Light! Soothing Comfort: [Cure Heal]." A glowing mist of directionless magic flared from my fingertips. I made sure it was aimed nowhere close to Reim.

"I… I've heard of this spell before. It's… it's not as powerful as you make it sound at all. It didn't help my mother when she was sick. And… and now, it can't even fix what's wrong with her."

Linze nodded. "I know this spell too. I really don't think it does as much as you think it does."

I nodded. "I was afraid of that, but I do think there's a reason for that. This sort of magic might be foolproof, but I think it's actually somewhat kinda dumb as much as it's so smart about rebuilding damage. I actually don't think it can deal with illnesses all that well because A LOT of the pain and trauma from illness is the body itself going overboard trying to fight off the infection.

That's why you get a fever when you're sick. Your body is trying to burn it out. You cough and your nose gets all runny, it's your body trying to spit it out. When someone feels cold, that's because blood is warm and that means less blood is near the skin."

I held out my arm and traced from armpit to wrist. "If you know what's going on inside the body, you can order it to direct its efforts at fixing itself more efficiently. Frankly given how [Heal] is so convenient, I'd have thought your doctors would be very familiar with anatomy through experimental vivisection."

"Vivisection?"

"Cutting open live subjects, as opposed to dissection, the cutting open of corpses."

"Scary! That's too scary, Mister Zah!" Linze yelped.

Sue put her hands over her mouth and tried not to gag.

I sighed. "I do hope they didn't actually do that. But in seriousness, medicine is not pretty. It's a lot of disgusting and horrible, and it's where you meet the worst in people… but a doctor must have a strong stomach in order to give confidence to their patients, and the nerve to save their lives no matter what."

Sue sat on her knees, balled fists on her lap, and looked studious and attentive. "If you want to save people, you can't be scared or disgusted by the icky things you see in them! I understand."

"Young miss…"

"Grampy Reim, I won't decide for you! You decide what happens, it's your body after all."

The old butler sighed and stared at each of us with narrow, considering eyes. "In that case, I decide…"

-x-

* * *

Yes, this story is on webnovel too. I put that there instead of someone else copying it. At least this way I have control over the content.

It's getting better reception over there. Here it's just 5k views so far, while there it's already 60k. The daily updates with shorter chapters may be helping. Due to the inability to schedule updates, I'm not really very enthused to keep updating on FF net except in the big full chapter chunks like I used to do.


	14. This is True Teamwork

**This is True Teamwork**

* * *

 _-o_

 _/"I really can't believe we're going through with this. But I do admit this is a nobler reason to have this much power…"/_

"Reim is the braver person, after all we're risking nothing."

 _/"How about making Sue sad? Is that worth the risk? I'd have thought enduring the pain for an arrow stuck shut inside the body and requiring even more surgery would have been safest and required the least amount of effort./_

Her voice seemed to come from the left side now. _/"Butler Reim, your dedication to duty and her safety is extreme."/_

"Lady Monika… it is the least I could do. We must get off this road and get milady to safety as soon as possible."

"I think the bigger question is why Sushie is letting us do this." I looked up at met the girl's eyes. She was still sitting seiza-style on her knees, for some reason imitating Yae's dutiful posture. She blinked and forced herself to meet my blank gaze. "Why, Sue?" I asked.

Her lips dipped down into a frown before forced back to a false smile. "I don't want Grampy Reim to be in any more pain. Knowing he's going back home with a piece of metal right next to his heart… it's scary." She clenched her fists. "What if he just falls…? And then… and then! How can we help then?!

She bared her teeth and added desperately, "We can't be sure of what will happen in two days!"

Reim laughed weakly. "That sort of… far-sighted thinking. I'm really happy that you've begun to realize the worth of preparing for the future.

"Sometimes… you need to take a bigger risk now than allow something worse you have no control over, to happen later. These are the worries that your father… even His Majesty the King, must consider." He wheezed again, trying to keep himself from smiling too much, "You… are becoming strong, dear child."

"No! I don't… if being strong means losing you, I don't want it! But, I hope… I really hope this works!"

Again she stared at me fitfully. "Promise me! If you don't… I'll never forgive you!"

 _/"Ahhh… that's really not something that can be promised,"/_ Monika noted. _/"The most a doctor can do is to mitigate risks. There's always something unpredictable even in routine operations."/_

"Sure, I guarantee it. I stake my life on it."

 _/"Player!"/_

 _-o_

* * *

 _-o_

So. Field surgery.

We needed to prepare and sanitize an operating area, but there's only so much that could be done outdoors. We had no tables, but we could at least set up a tent around us to stop the wind.

Next there was the problem of tools. We found a fruit knife that, when sufficiently sharpened, could serve as a makeshift scalpel. To make forceps, Elze peeled off broken pieces of armor with her [Boosted] strength, much to the surprise of the guards, and beat it into shape of something like tweezers.

We needed to cut it to shape, and for that we used a short sword as an improvised metal chisel and stamper. We ended up with something that looked like oversized tweezers with an L-shaped end.

Then we needed medical gloves. We ended up having to sterilize and use some of Sue's silk gloves, even if they didn't quite fit.

We sat inside the tent, gauging how well we could move inside of it, with Sue lighting the place with a magic light ball in her hands.

"All right, here's how we're going to do it," I began to assign orders. Deep breath.

"Once we take off the pressure, we only have a limited time window. Sue. You're going to have to keep your light bright and steady, close to the wound but far enough that it won't interfere with people's hands…" I tapped the flashlight on my headset as the primary light. "We can't have shadows hiding what we need to see."

I pointed to the sharpened knife on a cloth strip, then to Yae. "Yae, you're our surgeon. You will need to widen the wound enough that we would be able to see and pull out the arrowhead."

"… are you certain of this? Can you really trust such a delicate procedure to one such as myself?!"

"Yes. Only you can do this. As a swordswoman, you have a feel for just how deep you can safely cut. I trust you."

She nodded somberly. "Then I shall do as you command, Playa-dono."

Then I pointed at Linze and towards a pair of L-shaped strips of metal. "Next is to force open the wound while staunching bleeding. This is where you, Linze, will have to work your nerve. You'll have to pull apart the flesh with your own hands."

I sighed sofly. "In many way, I'm forcing you to do the most difficult job – you need to decide for yourself how much pressure to put, how much you can open the wound, without breaking your tools."

"… I… I'll do my best!"

"And Elze, you have one job. Once the way is clear, reach in in, pinch the arrowhead and pull it out. As fast as you can. Don't worry about the damage, just get it out there FAST."

"What will you be doing?"

I held up my fingers. "I'll be keeping Mister Reim alive manually mixing air into his blood from his sucking chest wound. Then once the arrowhead is gone, make the final definitive [Heal]."

 _/"And my job is to keep Mister Reim all popped up on natural painkillers so he doesn't feel any of this,"/_ Monika finished.

"… I have a question," asked the butler.

"Yes?"

"Will I be awake for all of this?"

"Considering we lack sedatives strong enough to knock you out, yes. Your own survival too is under your own control."

He nodded slowly and rubbed at his thick white mustache. "I must admit, that is somewhat… frightening. What should I do?"

There was not the slightest hint of fear in his eyes, however.

"All right. Once the arrow is removed, you are going to bleed out almost instantly. We're going to try and hit you with an overpowered [Heal] spell almost immediately afterwards.

"What is most important here is your WILL TO SURVIVE, do you understand? When that happens all that you need to think about is how you DON'T WANT TO DIE. Calm down, slow down your heart, so that your blood doesn't spurt out so quickly and you fall unconscious."

My hands were still pointed at his ribs and neck. "If you black out, you might never wake up again."

Reim nodded. "I understand." He looked towards Sushie and said "Please pray for me, dear child."

"I will!"

 _-o_

 _-o_

* * *

 **We Sing the Goodbye Music**

* * *

 _-o_

There was a trope known as the Unspoken Plan Guarantee. That is, a plan that was explained to the viewer or reader was almost always guaranteed to face some unexpected complication while that which was not explained would more or less go off without a hitch. This was due to the story conservation of detail, and repeating that which was already told to the reader would be uninteresting.

But in reality, the more you communicate, the more your team understands what they should be doing and their role in their operation, the much more likely is it to succeed. This works for things like medical operations to combat. That's why training is so valuable.

And that's why half-assed training could be more dangerous than useful.

We laid Reim down onto the bedrolls that the dead guards would certainly not be using anymore, piling them so he was at a semi-seating position.

I poked at his neck and Monika applied _/"[Amplify: Endorphins]."/_

The old man's lips twitched. As Yae and Elze unbound his chest, we could tell he was fighting not to giggle, as if strangely ticklish.

"Linze, prepare to apply side pressure to keep the wound shut."

Linze nodded and pinched at either side of the wound between the thumb and fingers of her left hand, adjusting to allow the cloth to be removed until she was only touching bare skin.

"Sue, Light."

"Yes!" the noble girl replied, bringing her hands closer and the light globe in her hands strongly illuminating the wound.

Yae shifted position to sit in front of Reim, almost straddling him and studying intently his bare chest. The old man blushed a little bit, and I softly slapped the back of his head with my other hand. There was no time for those thoughts or the elevated blood pressure. He giggled weakly.

"Linze, give Mister Reim here something to bite on. We are going to open the wound, and even with Monika drastically intensifying the body's natural painkillers, this might still hurt… a lot."

Linze jammed some rolled-up doilies into his mouth, him biting them sideways.

I sat opposite Yae, my right hand moving to poke at the butler's ribs again. Then with my left hand, I slid under Linze's pinching touch on Reim's chest. Elze had her hands on his shoulders.

And then, slowly, I increased the gap between my thumb and forefinger.

"Hrrrngh!" Reim hissed, and tried not to kick out with his feet. Elze applied pressure down on his shoulders to steady him.

"Grampy Reim!" Sue cried out.

"Mhf fghn! Comfhinnhuu!" I'm fine! Continue!

"Elze, daub!" I told her to wipe off the blood. She quickly, if gingerly, did so.

 _/"[Amplify: Endorphins],"/_ Monika intensified the pain blocking neurotransmitters. _/"[Diagnosis.]"/_

My view switched again to a strange false-color heat map. _/"Player, it's really lodged deep in there now. Yae, are you ready?"/_

"I am, Monika-sama!"

 _/"All right. Mister Reim, please prepare yourself. Player? It's your call."/_

"Yae, Linze, take the time to study the wound. Linze, note where you could spread open the wound while blocking channels for bleeding. I don't think it has hit any major blood vessels, and the wound may have clotted around the arrowhead."

"Y-yes. It's not as bleeding as badly as before," Linze replied. After dabbing away the first gush of blood, the bleeding had slowed down.

"Yae, cut vertically by your best judgement to expose the arrowhead."

"Hai." She took a deep breath and readied the fruit knife. She pressed the tip to the edge of the wound.

"Hhrrgh." Reim shut his eyes tight.

I began to apply "[Resuscitation!]" to his other lung to give him some other cool sensation to focus on.

Yae pushed down and made the first incision.

"Huuurrrgghh!" That was Sue, turning away and trying not to vomit. Suddenly the tent was full of the sickly-sweet smell of fresh blood.

"Stay strong!" I shouted at her. "Sue, light! We need you!"

"… I can't… I can't… I can't look away. For Grampy Reim!" she mumbled to herself, and turned back to the task.

Even as Yae cut deeper, first down, and then up. She looked terrified, but while her little hands shook they didn't inch away from Yae's moving fingers. Linze looked only slightly less nauseous, and shakily daubed away more of the bleeding.

"It is done," said Yae, moving back on her knees and tiptoes.

"Come, Water. Mild touch of frost, [Chill Touch!]" I applied pressure and a mild cooling to around my fingertips, hoping that would constrict the veins enough to reduce bleeding. "… Linze. Elze. Your turn."

Linze nodded firmly, and picked up the two metal bands to hold open the wound. Elze moved from behind Reim to in front of him. She picked up the metal tweezers and positioned them over the wound.

"Should I grab the arrowhead or by the shaft? Which will hurt less?"

/ _"The field manuals have nothing to say about this. Your call, Player."/_

"Dig into the flesh if you have to. Pull it out clean. Don't slip."

Reim was sweating and starting to breath heavily with panic as he watched himself being cut open. That was causing his blood to start pumping again, overcoming the clotting.

"Stop, Mister Reim, relax! The pain's only going to get worse if you focus on it!" Then I turned back towards Elze. "Don't rush, judge well how you're going to remove that! Don't slip!"

"I can do this, don't worry! Just… steady. Steaddyy….!"

Elze pushed the metal tips into the wound. Reim hissed again.

Elze began to jiggle the forceps a little bit to force it in deeper. Sue whimpered.

Elze pushed one last time, clenched her fingers, and pulled!

Reim let out a guttural gasp. A sucking noise began to come out of the cavity in his chest.

Quickly I moved my hands away from his lungs, slapped one palm over the other over the wound and shouted, "COME FORTH, LIGHT! SOOTHING COMFORT! [CURE HEAL!]"

A blinding flash of light filled the tent.

 _-o_

* * *

 _-o_

The guards heard Sue screaming, and rushed to the operating tent.

But before they could enter, Reim walked out of the tent, tall and bare-chested and proud. The guards stared in shock. "Mister Reim! You- ! You're healed!"

The old butler laughed weakly and experimentally rotated his right arm, feeling his pectoral muscles moving. Man was actually in quite decent shape for his age. "It is a complete recovery…"

Sue emerged from behind him and began to circle around her caretaker, dancing and skipping gaily. "It worked! It really worked! Grampy Reiiim! You're not going to die anymore!"

"Ahahaha… your choice of words aside, young miss, you are correct. I'm not leaving your side anytime soon."

One by one the rest of us emerged from the tent. Elze shucked off her bloody gloves, and Elze stretched out again, bending her spine back, because the operating tent was not actually big enough to stand up inside.

"Sir Zah Playa," Reim said strongly as I exited. "What you have done here today, we may never really truly repay."

I shook my head and summoned some water to clean my hands. "Don't worry about it. As I said before, it was never us that were shouldering the risks."

It would certainly have sucked if we failed after all of that, but it would have been a diabolos ex machina. As I said to Monika before, even if this isekai world had all the trappings, the best way to live it was to accept its reality. Its people are not actors, their pains real and their desires manifest. Its laws we have not figured out fully, but we have to live by them before we can figure out how to bend or break them.

"You saved Grampy Reim's life! I am never going to forget this!" Sue objected. "Just you wait until we get back home. I'll make sure Father gives you lots and lots! Whatever you want!"

I smiled a bit. "Yes, I do think we should hurry along. Now that Mister Reim is healed, we can't afford to move so slowly anymore."

Soon enough we were all packed and ready to leave. I was invited to sit inside the carriage with Sue and Reim. The girls preferred staying outside in the wagon, to better watch out for dangers. For the ten guards that originally accompanied Sushie Ernea Ortlinde, only four survived.

Before we could leave however, we spared some time to give our final respects to the fallen. It turned out that Maldon's younger brother was among the dead. We stood there in silence over the graves in the woods.

 _/"Punch me a line to heaven, Player. I want them to hear this."/_

I nodded and raised my fist. "Come, Wind. Come, Thunder. Come, LIGHTNING!"

Krack-thoom!

A thunderbolt lanced down from a clear sky to strike at my gloved fist. I had no idea why I wasn't being electrocuted or burnt, but magic was strangely arbitrary like that.

And then Monika started playing the "Soldiers of Sorrow" cover by Andrew W.K. ¹⁾out through her speakers, amplified and resonant. ¹⁾ ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ʷʷʷ.ʸᵒᵘᵗᵘᵇᵉ.ᶜᵒᵐ/ʷᵃᵗᶜʰ?ᵛ⁼⁸⁴ˢᑫᵛᶜ⁴³ᑫᶠQ

First, the piano notes. Then the sound came from all around us, as if the heavens had opened and a celestial orchestra blew the horns of omens and declared it was time to ROCK THE WORLD. We could really feel the bass going into our bones.

 _-o_

 _-/ "Sorrow, the trembling sorrow_

 _-/ Let me sing the goodbye music…"_

 _-o_

Monika's voice joined Andrew W.K.'s heartfelt screaming. Only a world that has known deep loss could make music that sounded so true. So many lives wasted, so many still dying for nothing, stuck in its endless cycle of ignorance and disenfranchisement.

Triumphant and yet bitter. Sue looked around, and clutched at her little chest, confused why it was hammering with all these unfamiliar emotions.

"This music –!" even Reim gasped, wide-eyed. "What are these instruments?!"

Yae's right hand inched towards her sword, but shakily she clenched her fists and forced it away. Elze and Linze leaned against each other.

 _-o_

 _-/ "Sorrow! This living sorrow!_

 _-/ Throw it away and make a beginning_

 _-/ All the color will go into the earth_

 _-/ Float away you proud living soldiers.._."

 _-o_

Maldon dropped to his knees and couldn't keep tears from flowing down his cheeks. "That's right! That's right- we're all soldiers of sorrow! You understand…!"

"This is why he's such a godly doctor…! Too late to save you all, but your deaths were not a waste!" another soldier blubbered out.

"My friends… they are covered in blackness… BUT THEY WILL EACH BURN BRIGHT RED!" the last surviving guards roared out.

 _-o_

 _-/ "I pray – pray!_

 _-/ To bring you a new day!"_

 _-o_

Krack- THOOM.

As the last notes trailed away, I lowered my hands and blinked tears from my eyes. What the hell. I've killed today! I saved a life today! I did so many things I'd never have dared before!

This song still really hits me hard… always reminding me that war was not an exciting time. We should always cherish the peace that was bought for us by the sacrifice of more worthy souls.

I felt Maldon give me a comradely punch to the shoulder. "Thanks for that, soldier. You're one of us now. No matter the battlefield, we're all the same aren't we?"

"No…" I touched my face, and my fingers stopped at the plastic casing in front of my eyes. "All of this is stolen glory. This is the least I can do to show my respect."

"Heh. Whatever you're running from, adventurer, it doesn't matter."

A strong wind passed through the clearing. He walked past me and only paused briefly to say "The gods of death are arriving, huh? On the wings of a wind storm? After someone dared to strike at the royal family this directly… after all of this…

"I can only pray, pray, we won't need them."

Suddenly the events of what happened a few hours earlier flashed through my mind. The rush of flight and free-fall… our powerful steps sweeping across open ground…

Air. Drill. Slam.

Shite.

 _/"There are consequences for so completely throwing away your old self, Player. Are you sure you're ready for all of them?/_

 _-o_

 _-o_

* * *

AN: Stop raising flags, Playa!


	15. Walk Like Them Until They Walk Like You

**Walk Like Them Until They Walk Like You**

* * *

\- o

\- o

Now that we could proceed to the capital at speed, there was no time to waste. Again, I was offered to ride inside the carriage with Sushie and Reim, and a companion of my choice, WHICH I WELL KNEW WAS A DECISION TRAP or a FLAG but fortunately all the girls preferred to stay at the wagon.

But now that I could think about it, I couldn't invite Linze anyway since as much as she might assist in interesting conversation, for sake of guard duty her options for magical bombardment would be strongly limited. Elze had little in common with Sue, and as much as I enjoyed her blithe company she would be more comfortable chatting with the guards.

Yae talking about the Far East could be interesting too, but we weren't really close to each other. It would be putting too much pressure on her dealing with foreign nobility.

 _/"I have [Amplified] the [Endurance] of the horses. They will be able to run for longer without tiring, but they will need to eat, drink, and rest more once we stop."/_

"Thank you for your blessing, Lady Monika," Reim bowed.

Monika nodded back. Actually I did have a couple of projectors – even one of my power banks even had a built-in LED projector. It was just that 100 lumens was plenty useless for most of the day, and while Monika's smartphone body could run on ambient magic just fine all other devices still require 5V DC.

We actually had been projecting Monika at night over to the side of the wagon for our campfire tales, but we didn't have a chance to really introduce her to Yae yet.

The curtains were all used up in the field surgery, but we managed to cover up the windows using sheets and blankets. It was dark enough inside for Monika's screen projection to be clear and colorful.

"Lalah Sune sundress, Monika? Really?"

Monika flicked disdainfully at her brown locks again. _/"It only seemed appropriate, Player. I want to support you. That's the only reason I'm here."/_

I nodded. In the original Mobile Suit Gundam, Lalah Sune was the woman whose death forced both Amuro Ray and Char Aznable's personality, giving them a point of commonality and yet making them bitter rivals. She understood both of them in a way that transcended words, transcended souls.

Monika was my Lalah, the person who completely understood me and would not judge. When Lalah was killed, Char lost the only person who could ever pull him back from the brink. By having one person he could always be honest to, he could also remain honest with himself.

For Amuro Ray, pilot of the Gundam, it was a combination of physical attraction and someone who could perfectly understand the sheer trauma he was going through as a teenager thrust into combat. The inherent tragedy of being a NewType, that the evolved semi-telepathic understanding that could connect people was instead turned into an instrument of war instead of helping to end it.

While some may have disliked how Tomino made psychic voodoo magic of Newtypes the focus of the latter half of what had been since then a gritty, mainly realistic war story, for me it always introduced a deeper philosophical question of identity. In many ways, Neon Genesis Evangelion's quote about the hedgehog's dilemma, about how people get hurt when they get close to each other, is a refutation of the idea that all people ached to find someone who could understand them.

I sat casually, one arm over the backrest and with my legs crossed, forming a perfect right angle between my knee and my foreleg. I raised the little glass with magically conjured ice water towards Monika's projection in salute and took a small sip.

I smiled softly and spoke of Char's most notable lines, "One does not care to remember the mistakes of one's youth."

Monika lounged on her sofa and copied the motion with her own conjured drink. _/"Ah. I can see time."/_

Monika could conjure or render whatever she wanted within her operating system and desktop, but I wondered if she could simulate the taste of any of it. She did tell me much earlier that she could feel through her smartphone body… maybe also electromagnetic wave stimulation?

No, the problem was still making other feel what she was doing with her virtual persona overlaid onto real-world coordinates via haptic feedback or something.

Sue's eyes glittered with admiration. "So… so awesome!"

Monika and I laughed weakly as we remembered our circumstances. "Pardon…" I said, getting back to a more proper and respectful sitting position. "We may have gotten a little carried away there."

Since there was still at least a day of travel, we had to fill up the time with some conversation. Monika and Sue took to each other quickly. Sue was eager to ask and learn about everything, and Monika as a former literature club president was only too happy to comply.

"Why… why do you wear that on your face?" Sue eventually worked up the nerve to ask me.

"I am legally blind. Through this magic tool Monika allows me to see."

"Oh." The little girl looked downcast. "If even *you* can't cure that…"

 _/"What's wrong?"/_ Monika asked.

It was butler Reim that answered for her. "Milady Sushie traveled in order to learn more about her great-grandfather's personal magic in the hopes that it could be rediscovered through the use of other elements, in order to cure her mother's blindness."

Sue began to whisper "Lady Monika…? Could you? Is that something that could help my mother?"

 _/"I'm sorry, but how I help Player is strongly specific to his case and why we're bound together."/_

Sue nodded, sighing heavily. She kicked out her heels and slid back a little on her seat. "I figured. It wouldn't be that easy… Thank you anyway."

 _/"So this is what you meant about what magic could not fix with your mother?"/_

Again, Reim answered for Sue "The Lady fell ill five years ago, and was left blind once she recovered. The doctors have tried all they could, but their magic could not heal damage caused by illness."

 _/"I must admit, I'm not very familiar with diseases that could cause blindness as an after-effect. Paralysis, permanent muscle injury, nerve damage… but nothing so specific as blindness. The eyes are very sensitive and easy to damage, but they're also largely insulated from the rest of the body's organs for that reason."/_

"Is there really no hope? There's nothing anyone can do? It's not fair!"

 _/"You'll find the world is full of a great many unfair things, little Sue. But hope? Hope is everywhere. Don't give up just yet."/_

To take Sue's mind away from her troubles, we started to tell stories. Sure, we could have been lazy about it and simply played some movies… but there was something magical about real storytelling, drawing images with nothing but words, allowing the listener to build the world inside her own imagination.

Monika could play the source material in a small window in my vision space, and it was something like a lit jam as we had to describe what was happening and make voice-overs. Monika could adjust my voice slightly, overlaying it with her speaker output. Enthusiasm was really more important than accurate copying.

Sue looked attentive, but didn't seem to enjoy very much the classics of Disney animated canon like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I suppose tales of princesses and princes were silly things to actual royalty and a world with actual dwarves and dragons in it. She was more invested when Maleficent cursed the whole kingdom and turned into a dragon, but it was more exciting than… marvelous.

Monika and I looked at each other, then at Sue, then back at each other.

And so we skipped ahead and began to tell her the story of Fa Mulan.

This one worked much better. There was a lot of dialog Monika and I could play off one another. She laughed gaily at the antics of Mushu. I was much more confident at being able to attempt Freddie Murphy's snarky little fire lizard rather than Robin William's incredible performance as the Genie.

And there was of course the " **I'll Make a Man Out of You** " song.

It certainly wasn't as powerful as " **Exert Oneself to Be a Hero** " theme from Once Upon a Time in China. But the different voices made it funnier, and we painted a picture of a sorry lot exasperating their trainer, and Mulan desperately hoping she didn't get found out through it all.

Sue clapped happily. This was certainly a much more relatable adventure to her.

She listened attentively as we wove the tale of how she marched to war, how she collapsed the mountain on top of the enemy, and how she was found out. Her reward for saving their lives not to be killed for deceiving the army, and Sue cried out at the injustice.

Then the chase and infiltration of the Imperial City, and saving the Emperor's life, and Mulan returning home.

Sue raged that Mulan would only be a dutiful daughter from now on, after she accomplished so much, and then calmed down. If that was what she decided to be, that was fine too. As a noble herself… she understood that women had their own duties too. You can't be so selfish, you need to know what you are doing will also affect others.

And then she beamed happily at the ending, at Mulan finding true love and a man who really respected her. Sue regaled us with what she most enjoyed about the best parts of the tale until even that began to tucker her out. Sue fell asleep soon after, Monika whispering a slow lullaby while I idly fanned the insides of the carriage with a magic breeze.

Reim laid her out to sleep straight on the carriage bench, while he moved to sit down on the floor.

 _/"… Player, I never really cared as much as you about giving me a real body again, you know?"/ Monika said softly, staring down at Sue's peaceful sleeping face and her long golden hair trailing down the padded carriage seat. /"But more and more I really wish I had hands to touch with."/_

She looked at me from the side, and clenched her fists over her chest. _/"A waifu can never give you something a wife can. So, Player, someday I hope – sooner than later - you get bored of this game."/_

"Monika, that's not-"

But she just left my view again, leaving me alone with nothing but my thoughts.

After a while I exhaled roughly, leaned back crossing my arms, and settled in to sleep as well.

(Why can't I just WIN the damn game, huh?)

\- o

\- o

In my dreams there was a path going through deep dark woods. It was a cold night, and I was wearing a hooded jacket and in my hands a flashlight.

For some reason I decided to shuck off the jacket, taking my arms out of the sleeves and wearing it again like a cloak.

And I began to walk.

Step by step walk like them until they walk like you.

Step by step leave behind your shame.

Step by step leave behind your pain.

Walk like them until they walk like you.

The chill night wind grew stronger, and I huddled even tighter under my mantle.

 _/Walk like them until they walk like you./_

\- o

\- o

The next day, just after lunchtime -

"Look, we're almost there!" Sue excitedly pointed to the lake shore once we emerged from the forests.

The Royal Capital of Belfast, Alephis, was situated along the banks of the inland lake Palette. Which was an odd choice, I thought, until I saw the waterfalls feeding that lake, coruscating in a rainbow of colors. Belfast had a comfortable climate, that and the fair rule of its king made it a relatively peaceful and prosperous country. Their silk goods were famed as among the highest quality in the world, and business was the pride of the kingdom.

As we approached closer, we saw a white castle built along the banks of the lake, from which radiated the rest of the capital city. While the castle itself was built on an artificial white hill and looked faintly smooth and organic, the main city walls were imposingly tall and almost endless, wrapping all around the capital city. Guards conducted inspections at the gates before allowing anyone inside, but they quickly waved us through as soon as they saw Sue and Leim's faces.

We rolled through streets paved with white limestone and a little while crossed a stone bridge that spanned a large river that cut through the city. There was another checkpoint at the middle of the bridge, not the entrance as I'd expected. I supposed in times of war a gate in the middle of the bridge was easier to defend. It's not like the enemy would have any room to pull back from the defenders on top, and then they could pull back again to the last gate at the far end.

Again, we simply breezed through that. "Beyond this point is the noble's residential district," Leim explained. Which meant the area we just left was the commoner and business districts.

Fair enough. I was familiar with citybuilding games like Stronghold, or Caesar and Zeus, which had 'unpleasantness' radiate from work buildings that reduced property value. Monika updated my minimap to show zones and streets radiating out from the castle. It actually reminded me of the fortifications of Constantinople, only instead of a narrow peninsula the defense was more flat and used the curve of the river in place of more defensive walls.

We traveled through streets filled with beautiful buildings and then arrived in front of a massive mansion and its huge white walls. As we stopped by the entrance, six soldiers had to work to slowly open the huge heavy metal-reinforced doors.

The carriage finally came to a stop in front of the steps leading into the mansion, and Sue swung open the doors with great gusto. A wall of maids and servants stood by and bowed.

"Welcome home, Young Miss!" they greeted her.

"Thank you!" Sue waved back. They arranged themselves in two rows showing a path to the open mansion door like an honor guard.

None of them betrayed any surprise when I emerged from inside the carriage next, as Leim prodded me to do so. They only had eyes on Sue, faintly nervous ones, as she waited there lightly shifting her weight from one foot to another.

Finally a man with a flowing cape emerged and came running down the red-carpeted staircase in front of us. "Sue!" he cried out.

"Father!" Sue ran and jumped up to embrace him.

"Thank goodness… thank all the gods, you're safe!" he whispered as he desperately hugged his daughter. "When I got that message about what happened to you – my heart all but stopped!"

"Didn't you get my note, father? I told you, we were fine! We had really strong people protecting us!"

"Note?" I whispered. "When did that happen?"

 _/"One of the guards rode ahead when we were close to the city. Figured it would be easier to trip any ambush ahead of time, and the loss of one guard would not be very much considering our combat power,"/_ Monika responded privately.

But it turned out that [Amplified Endurance] horses were just only a little bit slower than a horse with a single rider, we arrived at the gates with little time for the Duke to send troops as reinforcement and escort.

Eventually the Duke let go of his daughter and made his way over to us. He was tall and fit, with long blond hair and a thick but well-trimmed mustache. He wore a tall-collared cloak with accented by thick tan shoulderpads and cuffs. He had a kindly face, but there was also a strong purposeful energy to him. This was a man who knew his share of violent confrontations.

"So you must be the adventurers who saved my daughter. You have my sincerest gratitude. Truly, thank you all so much for all your help." He bowed deeply from the hip, the brother of the king lowering his head to some no-name adventurers.

"Please, there's no need for that," I said. "We only did what anyone would do in that situation!"

He looked up and smiled. "I see. How modest of you, but nevertheless, you have my gratitude!" He grabbed at my right hand and shook it firmly. "If you had not interfered, my Sue would have been murdered or worse by now! So, just tell me how I could possibly help you out!"

"Aaah. Well… there is something..."

"Playa!" Elze gasped out in dismay.

I smiled and raised my hand, making a little wave towards her. "Don't worry about it. It's just… we have been on the road for days, you know? Summoned water can only go so far, might I just say I do not feel comfortable for any form of conversation right now?"

The Duke blinked, taken aback for a moment. This was clearly not what he was expecting. He looked at me, then to the girls standing stiffly and intimidated behind me, and began to nod in a caring and thoughtful manner.

"Oh. I see. Then you must pardon my impoliteness. Of course, come in, I will happily allow you to use our wash rooms. I will have the maid prepare a change of clothes and draw your baths."

I bowed. "Thank you so much, my lord. I am sure you would like to take this time to speak with your child and your servants about what happened as well."

Duke Ortlinde frowned slightly and stared at me with a much more calculating gaze. "… yes. That is a thing that we should be doing. Very well then, I invite you all as guests to my home, under my hospitality and protection. Let us speak again after you have refreshed yourselves."

"Is... is that really fine?" Elze squeaked out. "I really hope we're not offering any insult or anything."

"No, no, it is perfectly fine. This is the least I could do to express my gratitude for saving my daughter." He then beckoned some maids to approach. "Please simply send word to let me know when you are ready to talk. Perhaps over tea?"

"That would be most agreeable, my lord. Thank you."

"See you later, Sir Zah!" Sue said happily as she took her father's hand. The two then went into their mansion, leaving us be. The maids also peeled off leaving, the ones that were ordered to attend to us.

"If milord and miladies would just follow us?" they asked with a bow.

As we followed them inside, Elze yanked at the back of my collar and hissed, "Playaaah! What do you think you're doing?! How can you be so rude?!"

"Hospitality is sacred, Elze. We have guest rights now. Before he is a Duke, he is a father. I'd have asked for bread and salt, but I had a feeling that's not the custom here. He can't actually harm us now that we've been formally invited into his home, our safety is his responsibility."

"… no, even so… that's still too scary, Mister Zah," Linze mumbled. "Being rude to a noble can get you killed, you know?"

"Seriously, where DO you get all this confidence to mouth off to powerful people?" Elze muttered.

I snorted. "Appearances must be maintained. In the realms of nobility, one's presentation is one's armor, and words are one's weapons. This is a massive concession from him already, it puts us in his debt to erode what he already owes us for saving his daughter.

"I've always found that debts and leverage are poor starters for good conversation. It's easier when both sides can work towards an equilibrium. If he was so prickly as to be offended by that, then we should just leave. We would owe him nothing, and only Sue would ever be able to call us back. We never helped Sue in hopes of getting a reward after all, we'll do fine earning our own money in our own ways."

"I still think it's rude!" Elze huffed. "You all but said we were stinky!"

"I feel humiliated by that, Mister Zah," Linze added softly.

"… ahaha…. yeah, my bad." I cringed and embarrassedly scratched at my cheeks. "But I am sticky and sweaty and I need a bath and Monika has accumulated enough Player Points."

 _/"S-s-shut up!"/_

\- o

\- o

 _/"Are you sure that's all you meant about that, Player? This is your last chance for a sanity check."/_

"No. Not really. I'm not that blind, Monika. I can see where you're angling me with this. It can be very beneficial to be seen as a badass. Nobility always deals best with other nobility…"

I sighed and slid deeper into the tub and blew bubbles, before re-emerging. "Warriors to warriors. Power to power. If I have a role to play, then so do you."

Monika frantically covered her eyes with her hands even as she recorded everything. _/"Actually I blame Elze for this. She was the one to inspire the idea. A spirit can only be exorcised, not stolen."/_

I hummed contentedly.

Walk like them until they walk like you.

\- o

\- o

Some time later, now freshly washed and cooled down, we rejoined the duke inside one of the private tea rooms of his lavish mansion. Reim poured tea for each of us onto delicate gold-rimmed bone china cups.

"I have spoken to Sue and Reim, and what happened was… more nerve-wracking than I could have imagined, and your help much more astounding! Never could I have expected a group so skilled in both battle and healing. You have saved my daughter, and my dear friend who has helped raise me as much as he now watches over my daughter.

"So, while you may know already, but allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Alfred Ernes Ortlinde, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

And then we made all our introductions again. "And of course, there is Monika," I noted. "But she doesn't want to come out until this place is a bit darker and more secure."

"Oh! That's right! Miss Yae, you haven't really met Miss Monika yet. You only heard her, you don't know what she looks like!" Linze said to the girl from Eashen.

"I would indeed be honored to finally glimpse Monika-sama."

"So, could we darken this place a bit?" I asked.

Reim moved to pull the drapes over the windows, and then returned to stand behind the Duke. There were no maids nor guards in that room. A lot of privacy, but also somewhat insecure for sake of the Duke.

I took out my small cube-shaped projector and arranged it to point towards a mostly blank far white wall. A series of concentric circles blurred in and out as Monika automatically adjusted the lens focus.

Then the view flashed and shifted into a strange room with metal walls, and a far window showing the night sky. A strange tobular metal structure could be seen outside, filling a quarter of the view outside that window, slowly spinning – the characteristic long cylinder of Island Three O'Neill Space Colony.

As the gargantuan sheets of mirrors spun, it flashed a reflected trail of the distant sun into the room.

Panels with blinking lights were set into either side of the wall. A single empty chair occupied the very center of the otherwise barren room. The walls and floor were made of metal panels painted a faint olive green.

"This… Monika, this is the command bridge of a Musai, isn't it?"

Monika slid into view from the corner on the screen, smiling impishly. _/"I thought you would appreciate a familiar sight, My Captain."/_

She set her projected image to 1:1, as if she really was there through a hole in the wall.

The Duke's eyes widened. "So… is that you, Lady Monika? It is certainly an honor."

 _/"INDEED I AM MONIKA,"/_ boomed out Monika. I grinned. I was such a bad influence, but seeing her ham it up was also lovely. Let's roll with it! She saw my gaze, grinned smugly, and thumped triumphantly over her chest in a Roman salute.

She reached for the 'edges' of the projected screen and began to 'drag' it walking backwards and zooming the view until everything was in 2x scale.

Her gentle smile and her piercing green eyes dominated the view.

Huh. On that note, as I glanced around, I realized that I knew a lot of people with green eyes. Monika had green eyes, of course. Elze and Linze also. Then Sue had green eyes, which she inherited from her father too.

 _/"SPIRIT OF LOST LIGHTNING, THE TERROR OF SOLOMON (THE WISE), AND THIS IS MY HOST – THE LAST SON OF ZEON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED. IT IS ALSO A PLEASURE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUIAINTANCE. SUE HAS SPOKEN VERY WELL OF YOU."/_

Yae let out a little "Oh!" of realization. The shift between Monika's casual demeanor earlier and now this oppressive aura she was emitting... wait, was Monika doing something with infrasound?

Monika pushed away from the frame and stalked with bare feet over cold deck plates to sit on the captain's chair. She crossed her feet and leaned back, resting her palms over the armrests and taking a queenly pose.

I narrowed my eyes. By tapping on the side of my headset, I could request for Monika to switch between a plain outside camera view and her real-time desktop view. Her projection was necessarily somewhat blurry. Her high-resolution image closer to my eyes... that sheer smugness in her expression...

Monika, are you actually wearing anything under that yellow Lalah robe?

As if sensing my thoughts, Monika's smile only grew much more haughty and self-satisfied.

She pointed out with a slim finger and intoned, _/"My Beloved has been testing you with little provocations all this while, Duke Ortlinde, and so far you have responded most favorably._

 _/"You have allowed us entry into your home and shared your safe resting spaces with us, even if that incurs the risk of these adventurers aiming to map your home for later purposes._

 _/"You have listened to your daughter and your servant and took their words as fact without quibble, not caring about their age or their subordinate role to yourself._

 _/"You have allowed us mere adventurers to meet you as equals, and humbled yourself before us in gratitude. You have allowed yourself to sit with us, not fearing this could simply be the excuse for an assassination attempt._

 _/"And with this, We will also say, that as we have saved cute little Sue once - so we would be most displeased if something were to happen to her later._

 _/"So let us speak, Alfred Earneas Ortlinde. What troubles thee? What manner of deviltry seeks your daughter as a weapon against thine royal mandate?"/_

"In truth, I am not so sure," Duke Ortlinde answered. "Not because there is no reason for it, but because of my position I am certain there is no end of sordid individuals who see me as a bother."

He made a bitter face as he sipped from his teacup. "I cannot even begin to pick who would seek to use her as leverage to make me dance to their basest whims."

"I understand. I am not interested in any names," I responded. "But I have a feeling for things like this. This is an escalation. Things like this is what leads to things like civil wars and purges. I am an adventurer, not a mercenary, war is not good for my business. What do you think this is about?"

Duke Ortlinde gave a heavy-hearted sigh and set down his cup. "I presume the same thing as usual… removing my brother from the throne, and rolling back the beastkin protection laws that our father set down."

"Excuse me, what? Beastkin what?"

"The laws that give Demi-humans all the full rights as Belfast citizens - the right to move without requiring a writ from their lord, the ability to establish business, to be paid at the same rate as other freemen, the right to refuse sexual advances and to punish those who take advantage of them no matter who, the right to use the same spaces and shops as other Belfast citizens, the right to be able to quit and move away to Mismede without being hampered, if life in Belfast no longer appealed to them."

Duke Ortlinde thinned his lips angrily. "Although slavery of the beastkin had mostly been outlawed since two hundred years ago, alongside the split of the Great Regulus Empire into Regulus Empire and Roadmere Union, and the foundation of the Beastking Kingdom of Mismede, it was not until my father pushed through these laws that the beastkin living in Belfast could enjoy a life little more than just field workers or entertainers.

"Unfortunately the right to travel saw most of them leave the country for Mismede, where they could finally be safe from prejudice and exploitation… leaving the nobles with many of their farms and businesses undermanned."

 _/"This is the faunus rights thing all over again, isn't it?"/_

"This is the civil rights movement thing all over again, isn't it?!" I snarled out, and the cup in my hands began to crack. "Of course this place could also have assholes like that, why did I even expect otherwise?"

The Duke looked taken aback by my vehemence. Even Monika stared at me, puzzled at why I felt so strongly about this.

I looked down at the broken porcelain in my hands. "Sorry about this. Come Wind, soaking release, [Evaporation]," I dried up the tea dribbling down the table.

I looked up and put aside the cup indifferently. "Much apologies for destroying your property, but I have… seen… how stubbornly persistent is this stupid racism and bigotry. In a generation or two more, it could be more difficult to reverse… but now it is still in a vulnerable state. I've seen all of this before."

Even if instead of cotton, silk. And it was the South that was prospering instead of the North. But the grain-producing temperate areas of Belfast still controlled most of the nation's military force. The capital city was roughly right in the middle of the country.

With grit teeth I continued, "I suppose the fact that they now needed to hire human workers for real wages, and abusing the tenants of one's own fief too badly could be seen as… uncultured... all of this drastically reduced certain nobles of their power and wealth? Even resorting to treason… I can see why they feel they should pull their shite while they still have a chance to roll things back."

"We have not met any beastkin so far in Belfast, not even as adventurers…" Linze mumbled in realization.

"If you don't stamp out this nonsense, they will be able to disguise their discrimination under other more palatable excuses," I added.

"Yes." The Duke nodded towards Linze, "This is why you will find most beastkin living in and around the capital, where the protections are most… visible."

I sat there and seethed. But this was politics, and properly it was none of my business. "This is a very complicated issue, one should not tread into it lightly. Outsiders have no right to butt in."

"And I would not expect you to do otherwise, Sir von Chara," Duke Ortlinde answered. "This is our problem, we should resolve it ourselves."

\- o

\- o


	16. Now We're Meddling with the Nobility?

**So Now We're Meddling with the Nobility**

* * *

-o

o-

We chatted next about less sensitive topics and learned more about the beastkin country Mismede. Two hundred years ago, in exchange for their support and the mustering of beastkin legions in the Roadmere Union revolt, they were guaranteed recognition of their nation if the many different beastkin species could unite under one leader.

Because there were many different beastkin tribes - feline, canine, lizard, bird, rabbits and deer and many more - in many ways they had to overcome more old biases than just human vs beastkin. Mismede rarely unified under one High King unless they needed a leader to unite them in war. It was only in the past twenty years that they managed to retain that unity, although it could be said Mismede was always under threat of war.

There was even an impressive tale of Exodus, beastkin from all over the continent. Mismede was not fantasy Israel however. It was actually much larger, situated along the shores of the Great Gao River that connected the left and right halves of the continent, right across and under Belfast and Regulus.

It was also built on the northern parts of the Great Sea of Trees. It was more like fantasy Brazil.

We heard knocking on the door. "May I come in?" Sue's voice came from the other side.

"Oh! Sue! Yes, come in!" the Duke answered back.

"I'm back, Father. Sorry for the wait." Sue entered, now wearing a white dress with pale pink frills and a headband with a matching pink rose.

"Did you talk with Ellen?"

"I did, yes. I kept quiet about having been attacked, however. I did not want to worry Mother."

Reim swiftly carried out more tea and set a place for her, also replacing my broken cup.

 _/"Ellen?"/_

"Yes, that would be my wife. I am sorry she could not come out to meet you, and thank you for saving our daughter's life but Sue said that you had already been told that she is blind." The Duke let his gaze drop as he recounted the sad tale of five years ago.

Sue comfortingly laid her hand on top of his, such a sweet little girl.

"No magic could really cure it?" asked Elze. "As the brother to the king, no one could tell you no, could they?"

"I called out to practitioners of Healing magic all through the land, but it was no use. They said that if it had been caused by a physical injury, magic could have helped to some degree, but it would have no effect on the after-effects of an illness."

"Sir Zah… if you don't mind, how do you manage to see?" Sue asked.

"I am legally blind, not completely blind. My eyes are still capable of perceiving light and some very blurry vision, which Monika could correct by changing how my eyes receive light. In effect, she serves as my eyes instead. If, I think, your mother is actually completely blind… her eyes unable to perceive light at all… then this measure won't help."

"Mother can't see light, no," Sue replied softly, discouraged. "So even that won't work. Oh…! If only grandfather was still alive!"

"… Uh, how would that help?"

"My wife's father – Sue's grandfather, that is, my father-in-law, could use a very special kind of magic. He was able to cure any abnormality in the body. The reason Sue originally left on a journey was to find out more about his magic and to try and find a way to recreate it."

 _/"Recreate it? I thought [Null] magic was a very personal magic."/_

"What is this magic?"

"It is a spell known as [Recovery]. I brought the many notes my grandfather left… but I don't know if that's enough," Sue replied.

The Duke added "Even if we could not use that magic, there was a possibility that knowing more about it we could attempt to substitute it with a spell from a different school of magic. At least, this is what the court magician told us."

"After seeing you work, Sir Zah, now I'm sure this is possible! So, could you do it? Could you cure mother?!" Sue said brightly.

"I can't make promises here. I already tried using [Cure Heal] on my eyes and it didn't work. It seems [Heal] doesn't work on degeneration over time, which only really makes sense or else no one would be dying of old age anymore."

The Duke accepted that with composure. "If that was not possible, then our only hope was that there was someone who could use the same magic as Sue's grandfather."

Sue nodded fiercely. "She said the possibility of that was very low, because no two people can use the exact same non-elemental spell as each other. But I'm sure there is a person out there who could use a similar spell!"

Linze raised her hand.

"… yes? You? Can you do it?!" Sue asked excitedly.

"No, not me. But, um, isn't that something Miss Monika already mentioned? That she is able to recreate [Null] spells for her own variations?"

"Lady Monika?!"

 _/"Yes, that is true. That is the reason why we're trying to learn as much about magic after all._

 _/"But even I have limits. For instance, [Aports] doesn't work because I don't have hands to receive the teleported items and it's going to take me examining a different kind of [Transportation] or [Teleport] spell to be able to create my own personal version. I was able to copy Elze's [Boost] into my [Amplify], so... I don't know?/_

"It may be vaguely possible, but I can't guarantee anything either. We might actually need to speak to this court magician of yours."

"If nothing else, we won't lose anything by performing a non-invasive [Diagnosis] to figure out what's really wrong with Sue's mother's body, right?"

"Is that true?!" the Duke leaned forward excitedly. "Non elemental-magic is deeply personal, but human limits might not apply to spirits! Lady Monika, Sir von Chara!"

Sue clung to my arm. "Please! Don't leave without even trying!"

-o

o-

"Oh my? Do we have guests?"

The lady sitting on the bed strongly resembled Sue when all grown up. The only difference was that she had light brown hair instead of the bright corn-yellow of her daughter. She looked towards the sound of the door and her husband's voice, but her gray-blue eyes stared off into nothing. She was beautiful and almost doll-like.

"Dear, these are some friends of Sue. They looked out for Sue while she was on her journey. One of them, on hearing of your eyes, has said that he would like to see what he could do to figure out the truth of your ailment."

"The truth of my ailment?"

"Hello, Duchess Ellen. I am Zah Playa, and my companion –"

 _/"Monika please, pleased to meet you,"/_ Monika said gently.

"… well, we have some ability in healing. But more than that, we have a unique spell called [Diagnosis], which is much much more informative about problems in the body. This won't take long and it won't hurt a bit."

"Mother, please relax for a moment," Sue urged, and clasped her little hands against hers.

I looked to the Duke for approval, and he nodded at me to approach. I went over and laid my hand in front of Duchess Ellen's face.

"Come forth, Wind, subtle resonance, [Ultrasound]."

 _/"[Diagnosis]"/_

After a few seconds, we pulled away. "Huh," murmured. "Well that explains things…"

"What's wrong?! What did you learn?" Sue cried out.

"Well odd as it may sound, there's actually nothing wrong with your eyes, Duchess. No wonder all attempts at healing it have failed." I turned around to butler Reim. "Could we darken this room a bit again? We need to project something."

And after a while, Monika projected an image onto a blank wall. I stood in front of the slide and began to point things out like a lecturer.

"This is the human brain. It is divided into three main parts – the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain or brain stem.

"The forebrain is the largest part of the brain, responsible for your memories, your thinking, your conscious perceptions. Here, in this lower part near the back is the midbrain, responsible for your sense of balance, your vision and hearing, and your muscle control. Then here, the lowest part of the brain connected to your spinal cord, is responsible for all automatic functions in your body… your breathing, your heartbeat, your response to changing temperatures or rush of emotion, like that."

"Oooh…" Linze and Sue stared attentively.

Monika switched the slide and I continued "And this here are the eyes. As you can see, it is connected only to the brain by this optic nerve." The slides switched again to a view of how the eye worked and I pointed at the cutaway diagram. "Light enters the lenses here and stimulates the optic nerves here, and the brain translates those stimuli into vision."

I waved and Monika flicked the display back to the larger brain view. "And the part of the brain responsible for vision is here – at the back. Now when talking about blindness usually the problems are with the eyes. That's my problem, my eyeballs and lenses had already deformed so far and putting pressure on my optic nerve.

"Since Duchess Ellen's eyes are fine, that narrows down our problems to two other areas. Here – the transmission of signals from the eyes to the brain through the optic nerve – or here, the area responsible for processing said stimuli and turning it into recognizable information by the thinking areas of the brain."

"… really?! That's how that works?!" Sue gasped out. "That's… is that really it? I thought, well, what about the soul? They teach that it's our soul that makes us alive, and animal souls are different from human souls."

"Souls make us alive, but it's the brain that makes us think. I don't know how ghosts function, but for living beings I am perfectly sure about this. It's proven. People survive sometimes being hit in the brain, and then they just... change afterwards."

"This is true," the Duke put in. "This happens sometimes on battlefield or after accidents. People can sometimes be 'struck dumb' after being hit in the head… but now that I hear this, it makes sense."

"So what's wrong with mother?!" Sue asked loudly.

"I think a stroke, high blood pressure or a blood clot during her illness caused a pinch to either these two areas, destroying the connection between nerves. Inflammation and fever could also have damaged the lobes directly, and no one could cure it BECAUSE THEY KEPT FOCUSING ON HER EYES."

"So, now that you know, could you do it?! Could you make mother see again?!"

I slowly lowed my hand and shook my head sadly. "… no, because we have already gathered that [Cure Heal] doesn't work on long-term damage. But now that we know about it, if we find a superior [Heal] spell, or re-engineer your grandfather's magic, it is more than possible."

"But won't you at least try?!"

 _/"Of course we will, dear."/_ Monika appeared on the projected screen and addressed Duke Ortlinde. _/"We will need to talk to that court magician about this later though."/_

I paused and suddenly asked "Wait, how many people could even have known that Sue would set off to her grandmother's estate? How much do you trust this court magician?"

"Miss Charlotte is beyond reproach!" the Duke answered. "She even apprenticed under the Fairies of Mismede in order to learn all she could about the different elemental magics. She is strongly progressive, she is surely an ally!"

"Did you hear that mother?! You could see again! I'm not going to wait for healers – Sir Zah, Lady Monika! Please, try! And please teach me how to [Heal!]"

Past them and closer to the door, I could see Elze, Linze, and Yae, nod approvingly. They looked so proud of Sue. Butler Reim was almost close to crying.

"All right."

-o

o-

So, a little while later, I raised my hand and pointed them to just over Duchess Ellen's cheekbones. "Come forth, Light! Soothing comfort, [Cure Heal!]"

A soft glow issued forth from under my fingers and into her eyes.

After a while, I pulled back.

"Anything?"

She blinked, and the shook her head. Sue clenched her fists and her whole body shook in anxious energy.

Then I pressed my fingers to the nape of her neck and said again "Come forth, Light! Soothing comfort, [Cure Heal!]"

"Oh!" the Duchess gasped.

Sue hurriedly moved in front of her mother's face. "Mother? Mother! Can you see me now?"

"… I'm sorry. But… there was this tightness in my head that I didn't even realize that's now gone. And…" she began blinking repeatedly. "I can't see you, my dear child…" she reached over and touched Sue's cheeks, "but I can see light. I can see your shadow, at least."

"Mother!" Sue hugged her.

"Ellen!" The Duke rushed forward as well.

 _/"It could still be nerve degradation,"/_ Monika had to say. _/"Healing this doesn't require power, it requires precision. I'm sorry, this is about as much as we can do for now…"/_

"Still, thank you!" the Duke whispered. "You have given us at least hope that things can get better."

Sue stood up straight and bowed at me. "I'll do it! Please teach me that spell!"

"Actually… Monika, what do you think? If Sue were to actually try to cure her mother every day, gradually, would that work better than just me hideously overpowering the spell?"

 _/"[Cure Heal] won't do that, but at least it can prevent further damage. And I think, relaxing the pressure on her brain might actually allow her body to start repairing its own damage. But… at the same time…"/_ she shrugged, _/"It's actually brain surgery, you know? I really don't think it's wise to let untrained practitioners loose."/_

Turning to Sue, she said _/"Can you really forgive yourself if by trying to help you made things worse?"/_

Sue gasped and recoiled. "Oh! That's… that's right… like Grampy Reim…"

"Sue? What are you talking about?" Ellen asked.

"Um. Nothing. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so ignorant."

"Monika, don't discourage Sue. If she has the heart and the will to become a doctor, then why not? To save lives… it's a nobler cause."

 _/"Well, I do have your volumes on medical literature here. But we shouldn't presume that all we know is correct and superior, there might be other advances here that we're not aware of. Sue… you'll have to wait for a bit. You'll have to study."/_

"Un! I can do that!"

 _/"So determined. So cute!"/_ Monika gushed.

Ellen laughed and pulled her daughter closer. Mother and daughter began to rub their faces together. Like cats. Nnggh. So cute.

The Duke just looked so damn satisfied.

-o

o-

"I am greatly indebted to you, really, you have no idea what this means to me," said the Duke. "Not only have you saved my daughter, but now you've given us the first glimmer of hope in so many years!"

Sue was still in Duchess Ellen's room, and we had returned to the parlor where we sat in luxurious chairs facing the Duke.

"Don't mention it. Sue is safe, and while your wife is not cured, it might not exactly us who would finally restore her vision. We only pointed you to a likely path."

"But Sue still really wants to learn from you, you know? What do you think? Would you care to come to my employ and take Sue as your apprentice?"

I shook my head sadly. That would not be possible, because we were not actually trained doctors.

Also that would make us far too visible and embroiled quickly in their politics. Instead I offered to share my knowledge instead in the form of books and other materials, and to assist other doctors and the court magician.

"In turn I would like to request from you books about medicine and magic as known here in Belfast. We cannot carry them now, but if they could be sent to the Silver Moon Inn in Reflet?"

"That would not be a problem, I'd be overjoyed to help you with that!"

"Great. We'll come back to check on Sue once Monika and I have transcribed some of our medical books."

The Duke looked at us oddly. "That's… that's all you really care about, is it? You and your companions, were you really just going to leave just like that?"

"Um… yes? Why wouldn't we? Sue is fine now. We certainly couldn't impose to stay here, and we far prefer the freedom of an inn anyway. We still have the job we originally set out to do here in the capital, then we have to return to Reflet to complete our mission."

"How much even would… no, no, it's the principle of the thing," the Duke muttered. "No. I cannot possible just leave it as that. I really must show you the appropriate level of gratitude to all that you have done for this family. Reim, bring it over."

"Of course, sir." Reim brought over a silver tray with several bags on it.

"First, take this. This is my reward for saving my daughter and escorting her home safely." The Duke gestured for Reim to hand over a soft leather bag. "You should find forty platinum coins inside."

"Eeeeh?!" Linze and Elze shrieked while Yae made a confused "Huh?"

I reached into the bag and took out a silvery coin. Hm. "Monika, is this really platinum?"

 _/"Hmm. I don't have a general [Identify] spell yet, Player. But… [Evaluate] -_

 _/"This is platinum-iridum, an alloy of the two noble precious metals. Given how nonreactive the platinum group of elements, you're looking at a coin that is practically invulnerable to scratching and will never tarnish. I can't be sure about the specific alloying proportions, but yes."/_

I put the coin back inside. "Platinum is ridiculously rarer compared to gold and silver, I'm actually surprised you use it as currency. Well I suppose [Earth] magic has loads of utility in mining," I told the Duke.

Then I poked Elze sitting beside me. "What's the exchange rate between gold and platinum?"

"Eek! It's the next level of currency! A single platinum equals ten… ten gold coins! And there's forty of that in there?!"

"Hmm..."

"Why are you so caaaaalmn?!"

"I still find it ridiculous. I'd have expected a White Gold alloy of platinum and gold, actually."

 _/"Platinum-Gold adds durability to gold, but really few beats platinum-iridium for sheer lasting value. Pure platinum has a hardness of 56 Vickers hardness while up to 50% platinum-iridium has a hardness of up to 500. This is a precious coin that would serve for centuries if needs be."/_

And then we heard laughter. The Duke was laughing. He slapped at his thighs and grinned. "Really, how novel. This is the first time I've ever seen someone care more for the properties of the metal than its value! A warrior-scholar indeed! I will tell you this though, Lady Monika is right – platinum is valuable because it is so lasting.

Some of the most prized platinum coins date all the way back to the Ancient Civilization of five thousand years ago. We use platinum as currency because they used platinum as a currency. If you want to know more, you will just have to return as ask Miss Charlotte about these – she is also the foremost expert in the Ancient lore."

Wait, if 1 Gold was equal to $10,000, and ten of that was equal to 1 Platinum or $100,000, and I was holding forty in my hand – holy shite, I was holding four million dollars!

I laid the bag back down to the table. "I am a very greedy person. But even I can say, this is far too much."

"Ahaha, don't say that! Please, just accept it. If you plan on making a living as adventurers, then I'm sure you'll reach a point where you'll need money like this. Just think of it as stashing away funds for when that day comes."

"All right. Then on behalf of all of us, I'll accept it, and please have our thanks."

 _/"Player, why do you look so intimidated? It's just about $40,000. Maybe double or triple depending on purchasing power, since it was rare in our times could you find $20 for a day with meals included,"/ Monika whispered privately. /"A little over $100,000."/_

Oh.

Right. I am bad at the maths. Well that's a scary number anyway.

The Duke raised his palm up. "But that's not all I want to give you. In addition, I'd like you to have these."

He laid out four large silver medals on the table. Each one was about five inches across, and featured a shield in the center with a pair of lions facing each other from the side. I raised my left eyebrow in fascination, even if no one could see it they could infer it from the tilt of my head.

"I see that you understand. They are medals that feature my family crest. With these you will be able to pass through any checkpoint with relative ease, and be allowed to use facilities that are normally exclusive to nobles. Should anything happen to you, they act as a guarantee that my family will provide support to you. Do not worry, they do not imply any sort of fealty… but will serve as a form of identification, I suppose."

He explained that the platinum-silver alloy medals were normally given out to exclusive merchants and other notable figures related to the family's concerns. Each medal had our names carved into them, along with a single word that ensured no duplicates could be made.

My medal carried the word ["Generosity"].

Elze had ["Fervor"].

Linze had ["Sincerity"].

Yae had ["Tranquility"].

"Interesting."

"I really must beg your pardon, Lady Monika, for not having a medal made for you as well…"

 _/"It is fine. No haaaands. No point."/_

"Huh. Well these could be useful. You had these made quite quickly. I presume you have some medals ready just waiting to stamp out names and words, but you're really spot on with how well these words suit us." I nodded appreciatively. "You really listened to their stories, didn't you? You even listened to the guards."

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Oh my god, why are you such a decent noble in this country that I can just feel is ready to boil over into civil war? Could it be possibly any more obvious which side we should take?

Well, the side with Sue in it, so ehh. Already pretty obvious in the first place.

"So how long do you plan on staying in Alephis? I can send word to the palace and ask for the court magician to meet you here in my estate as soon as possible."

"Well the request-giver is a friend of ours and he's not in any particular hurry, so… two days maybe?"

He nodded happily. "Then that would be just fine. I'm sure Sue would be happy to see you again soon."

We decided it was about time to be leaving, and Sue went to see us off. She waved passionately goodbye after our wagon and shouted "Come back soon, you hear?!"

Linze waved back just as fervently, Sue's energy and enthusiasm was just infectious. Elze had a regretful little smile as we left, while Yae had a carefully placid expression on her face. Hm. The Tranquility Medal really suited her, huh? Very Zen.

And so with that done, we decided to head out to find and inn and deliver Zanac's letter first thing in the morning.

-o

o-

"Eh?!" Yae yelped. "That letter you were asked to deliver was for a Viscount Sordrick, it was?!"

We all stared curiously at Yae and her odd excitement. "Do you know him?"

"Do I know him? He is the very man I mentioned before, that he is. The one who helped my father in the past and the one I traveled so far to meet, that is he!"

"Well isn't that such a coincidence!" Elze gasped.

Linze touched the medal given to her. "It's also a coincidence we just so happened to come across Miss Sushie and saved her, isn't it? Wow, it's… it's become less and less coincidence and more like… I don't know…"

Elze grimaced and looked away. "I don't want to know."

-o

o-

end So Now We're Meddling with the Nobility? end


	17. Interlude 5,6

**Interlude 5 - The Lord of the Ducal House**

* * *

-.

"My Lord," Maldon greeted his liege and made a bow with his fist to his chest.

"Have a seat," the Duke ordered. "I've heard of what happened. Thank you for saving my daughter… and I am most sorry for your loss."

"You are too kind, milord." Maldon couldn't dare to look at his liege lord in the eyes. "It wasn't us that saved her… in the end, we needed to be saved too. We don't deserve your thanks."

"You… you were wounded, and your younger brother died in my service. If you don't deserve my thanks, who does?!" Duke Ortlinde shot back. "Yes… I know about the adventurers… but powerful as they might be, none of them would have chosen to die for my Sue."

He slapped his palm down on his desk. "You did your duty, but I also have an obligation to you! So, once again, with utmost sincerity… thank you."

"As you wish, milord." Maldon nodded slowly. Of course it hurt that his brother died, but it was not in vain. Duke Ortlinde really was a worthy lord to serve, and the kingdom needed him. He raged internally against the foul wastes of air that called themselves the other nobles of Belfast.

That they dared to be so open about attacking the crown now… these were dangerous times. And in these dangerous times… one needed allies?

"So tell me about these adventurers. While they are off… bathing… I need to know how best to receive them. It is strange, they do not look like they are fully adults yet. Were they truly that powerful?"

Maldon glanced towards Reim, standing dutifully behind his lord. While the butler could testify to the efficacy of the group's ability to heal, only the guards had directly seen them fight.

"They arrived… on the wings of a windstorm. At first, it was that girl with the long silver hair. At first we were just fighting for our lives, and then she appeared out of nowhere – she just smashed her feet onto a lizardman and then tore him to shreds dragging on the ground to stop."

Maldon made helpful fingerman hand gestures to illustrate what happened. "She was moving so fast her feet sunk into its armor. She had to pull her bloody metal boots out of its body. Her punches were no less potent, sire. No unenchanted armor could possible stand up to such cruel strength."

The Duke blinked. Elze clearly did not look so vicious. He even thought she was the most matured and reasonable-looking of them.

"I… suppose that is possible. There are personal abilities or training that could do that, as we do with the Knights. Such a prodigy it is only a surprise to be undiscovered."

"We were later told they came from Refreese, my lord. Uh, the two girls with silver hair. The one with dark hair is from Eashen to the Far East," Of course. The court of Belfast was quite familiar with Eashen. One of them had even served as their blademaster instructor for quite a while. "And their leader…"

"Yes, the one with the mask and helmet…"

"He arrived from the sky. He dropped and shattered the enemy formation in a fist of wind. My Lord, you must understand. That girl… she had strength… power and speed, explosive force. But him… don't let his seeming youth fool you. I would hesitate to say that any of our ranked Knights could easily defeat anyone with such complete mastery of Wind magic."

Maldon clasped his palms together and his fingers began to shake. "Speed… such speed. Some might be more agile or more precise, like the sword of that Eashen girl later, but never have I seen speed turned into such a perfect weapon. And his wind blades…"

He looked up and spoke about the last member of the team "And that shy-looking girl? Her fire magic was hellish and she looked like she could cast them all day she wanted to. They didn't show a wide variety of spells, not like the combat magicians… but just a few spells enhanced and refined to the killing perfection.

"My lord, I beg you, do not underestimate these children. I've seen them fight. If they could ever fight with us… they are army breakers."

Duke Ortlinde leaned on one knuckle and began to tap worriedly on his desk. "And these people were just sharing a carriage with Sue. I've heard the report too. How... convenient… that the Dark Magic summoner was killed, and we have no one to interrogate as to the person responsible for this."

Killing off a troop of lizard-men would have just been delicious irony for the anti-beastkin malcontents in the court, after all. For a member of the royal family to be slain by the beastkins that they have acted far too kindly towards for so long, surrendering even Belfast's interests in order to make peace.

A betrayal to pump up the populace. They had long wanted a war with Mismede and to claim land again on the other side of the Great Gao.

The butler decided to speak, "Sire, I understand that this sounds too good to be true… but I have spoken with the young adventurer Zah for a longer amount of time. There is true kindness there, it was not for any hope of reward that they helped.

"Him and his spirit… they looked quite taken with the young miss. They shrugged off any mention of rewards, but seeing Miss Sue smile seemed to make them happy as well. Happy in a way that it was like it was a surprise to them as well. I have a strong feeling that they are adventurers not because of gain, but because of loss."

"Ah yes. That spirit. Sue wrote about that too. Is this true? This is not some sort of trick?" Duke Ortlinde asked, though he did not doubt the old servant. "Spirits are born from magically powerful places and rarely able to leave their domains. I have never before heard of a spirit bound to a person, and be so… mobile."

"I have seen and spoken to Lady Monika as well. She and Sir Zah displayed an old comfortable affection for each other."

"Hmf. A person you could offend, but never a spirit…" the Duke sighed heavily. "A person you could ask to forgive, but a spirit will never forget. What even is happening in this kingdom? I am truly deeply grateful that they saved Sue, but taken all in combination… it is far, far too convenient."

He sniffed. "And was it really necessary to subject my precious Sue to such a gruesome sight? I do not approve." He nodded towards Reim, "No offense meant."

"None taken, sire." The butler put a hand over chest, right over where the deep wound used to be.

The Duke looked off to the distance some more and mulled over what to do. Adventuring parties didn't just show up somewhere, with such training and teamwork, for no reason. Refreese? The Refreese Imperium was dirt poor, that was in no way believable that they came from there. Regulus or the Rodmere Union, the continent's two competing superpowers, that was far more believable.

Some other nation meddling with Belfast's troubles… but who really benefits from Belfast being unstable? Regulus and Rodmere had their own problems to deal with. Even Refreese wouldn't benefit because the trade disruption would destroy their own already meager economy.

Maybe to assist in re-stabilizing Belfast? Who benefits from that? Who benefits from improving the lives and livelihood of beastkin and external trade with their kingdom?

The list was short, and on top was the Adventurer's Guild.

There had always been rumors of the Guild having its own shadowy adventurer teams. And the remote, icy kingdom of Elfrau was a perfect place to carry out extreme training.

The Duke began thoughtfully tapping at his desk with such force and rapidity he could almost just punch through it with his index finger. Even so, something still felt wrong.

There was a ponderous feeling, a pressure…

A feeling that he had felt only once before, from his own father and his burning fury to purge the court and fully enforce the beastkin protection laws. Like Destiny itself, arriving, rolling and crushing all before it, woe be to the fools who dared to try and stand against it.

Just because he was nice didn't mean he was stupid. In a world with adventurers rooting around the land a convenient rescuer could be an evil mastermind attempting to steal the throne by playing the part of the legendary hero.

The problem being that he may actually be said legendary hero. You can never know in a world like this, so burning bridges would be a bad idea.

"We only have an hour or so. You two, advise me then, how do you think I should treat them? How should I conduct myself before these adventurers that I do not offend them?"

"Uh… I am sorry, my lord. I have no such advice." Maldon would be happy to fight with them again, in righteous battle, and would certainly have loved to see them in service to the Duke. There were a lot of benefits to being sworn to noble house.

However, adventurers of such ability did not like their freedoms curtailed, even he knew that.

Reim coughed into his fist. "My lord, I think the most important quality you should remember… is that SUE LIKES THEM. Please do not think of trying to pull them to your side. If they should be offended and leave, that would make Sue unhappy."

Duke Ortlinde slumped. "And none of us want that. So you're saying, only treat them with the thought of simply keeping them and Sue happy? That they should want to keep being friends with my daughter?"

He let out a long considerate 'hmmm'. "A spirit probably could detect dark, selfish intentions anyway. Like the Mystic Eyes of my niece, Her Highness Princess Yumina." He looked up, having decided to shed all thoughts of personal gain. "I see. I should just treat them as I would any of Sue's friends."

Then, after thinking about it, he suddenly clutched at his head despondently. "Sue's other friends are cute little girls too! I don't know how to deal with them at all!"

Reim coughed again. "Ahem. Just… act naturally, sire? Look at them like your own friends?"

Duke Alfred Ernes Ortlinde recalled his own circle of peers, and their monomaniacal focus on certain pursuits like swordsmanship, or magic research, or opera, or fashion. Even his own brother the King had a tendency to get sucked into whatever had his attention at the time.

He shook his head swiftly. "No, that won't do. I have terrible friends."

-.

.-

* * *

 **Interlude 6 - The Daughter of the Ducal House**

* * *

-.

"Ow!"

"What was that? Sue?" Duchess Ellen turned her head around, trying to hear. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Mother," the girl replied in a pinched voice. "It's nothing, I just… bumped into something a little bit."

Ellen thought about it for a little bit and considered what her daughter could possibly be doing while her mother couldn't see it. Quickly the answer became obvious.

"You were walking around with your eyes closed, weren't you? Trying to see what it feel like now that I can at least see the difference between light and dark?"

Sue went over to sit by her mother's side and rubbed at her stinging shin, which she had knocked against a drawer. "I'm sorry. But… did we just make it worse? I think that having light shining through your eyelids… it feels uncomfortably warm for some reason."

A low whimper entered the girl's tone of voice. "I'm really sorry… every time I try to help, I just make things worse!"

Ellen pulled her daughter close and hugged her. "Now, don't say that. Those who hesitate to take the first step in the fear they are wasting their time will never reach the end." There was nothing like fearing to fail that could turn what been such a promising youth into a life of nothing but failure.

"The thought that someday I would be able to see you again… that's enough. We have real hope where we had none before, I can deal with a little inconvenience for a time," she murmured and kissed her daughter's head. "Really, your mother is a little stronger than that, you know?"

"None of the healers ever managed to do even that! I'm not just going to… um…"

"Blindly trust?" Ellen offered. "I'm not offended by that turn of phrase. Why would it hurt to be reminded of my disability when I can't ever forget it?"

"… blindly trust them anymore. Mother, I'm going to learn all I can and try to cure you myself!"

Sushie Ernea Ortlinde had an older brother, Edward Ernest Ortlinde, and he would be the one to inherit the title of Duke and his wife would become the Duchess. Sue had never begrudged him that, but she wondered at times what to do with her life. The best that she could hope for was a loving arranged marriage like her mother and father.

There were other strong female examples in Belfast, like adventurers or Charlotte the court magician, but it felt somewhat like a waste of the royal family's ability to build alliances.

She hesitantly reached out to her mother's face. The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded. She had the [Light] magical affinity. It was her only magical affinity. And being a healer was a noble enough occupation, her own maternal grandfather was famous for it. Mother's own father.

Sue had never really thought about why a man who had the ability to reverse any and all harm to the body, lasting physical infirmities and poison and all, would die at physically around the fifties (46 by their calendar). Such a person would have been of immense strategic importance to the nation.

Then she pouted slightly, "But if Sir Zah and Lady Monika could do it, that would be fine too."

Duchess Ellen chuckled lightly and rubbed at her daughter's hair again. She felt a pang of regret, for in her five years of darkness she could barely even imagine how her daughter was growing up from the child she remembered. But it was a parent's joy to have a child that knew what they wanted from life and determined to get it.

The world was not a kind place for dreamers, but without dreams what was the point of being alive? To in end being forced to settle for spoiled noble children who only wanted to consume, that was the one fear she had for her daughter.

"So… your new friends. I didn't expect such great healers to sound so… young. You told me they were adventurers, that's certainly not a skill I expected for them to possess."

"… Sir Zah is blind too, you know? I think I mentioned that. And even then, the guards said that he is a powerful, powerful adventurer. I think it's… kind of inspiring. Maybe that's why… I have a lot more trust in him, even if he can't fix his own eyes, because who else would know the best?"

Sue's strongest memory of them was from sitting inside the darkened carriage, lit only by Monika's projection onto the carriage wall. Zah Playa sat in a very relaxed lounging manner on one empty carriage bench, absently swirling the glass of water in his hand as if it were fine amber wine.

His hair was a dark russet, and the thick slate on his face a matte black that faded into the shadows. His face was all sharp artificial angles, and the most she could see was only his nose and lips and his strong chin. His satisfied smile, his eager shining grins, and because much of his facial expressions were hidden behind a mask he overcompensated with sweeping gestures and body language.

He was funny. He was interesting. Sue was for a moment glad that her mother was blind, because then she would not be able to see her blush.

But Ellen could feel her daughter tense up in her arms. "Sue?"

"It's… it's nothing mother. I'm… I'm going to be a Healer. I just thought for a moment how being an adventurer, living free and on the road… it… it can't be that exciting, can it?"

Ellen laughed. "We've all been there, my dearest daughter. They have freedom like no one else, even as much as they might envy us our ease and wealth."

An adventurer could just drop everything and flee, if circumstances no longer favored them. A Duke was a pillar of the kingdom, no matter what happens they were obliged to face it all with dignity even to very worst of ends.

Sue leaned onto her mother and dropped to lie down on her lap. She stared at her mother's concerned face, and that was enough. Sir Zah already had Lady Monika and three other strong girls with him anyway. She was a daughter of the eminent Ortlinde Family, he wouldn't be waiting for her to grow up. If he were the type of man to be tempted by her station, then he wouldn't have been worthy of it.

She just hoped they would come back. After curing her mother, all she really prayed for was for someone to stay with her and tell her more stories about distant lands and their own adventures.

Tell her stories of all the things her birth meant she could never be.

-.

.-


	18. A Disgusting Sword

**A Disgusting Sword**

* * *

-.

We checked into a high-class hotel, as this was no time to save coins. Elze and Linze looked dull-eyed at how two nights would basically have wiped out the reward we would be given from our Guild mission. However, it was likely that we would be watched by the Duke's informants, and if we looked too miserly it would look somewhat ungrateful.

I actually felt things were vastly overpriced too. Just like with the Silver Moon Inn, meals were included. I figured it was because in this kingdom's technology level, there was really not that much more amenities that could be given to the guests. Everything was so luxurious and ornate, but in the end the entertainments inside the room could only come from guests invited to your own private lounge and bar.

Each room did have its own private bath with hot and warm water though. Even some form of rudimentary air conditioning with piped air.

 _/"It sure is convenient, huh, being able to create fire and water from out of nowhere."/_ Monika commented while using sound echoes to trace the pipes. A cleverly hidden water tank on top of the hotel provided enough water pressure for faucets.

Even Silver Moon Inn had running water for their faucets and toilets, though Micah only really had a large barrel in the room above. There were still improvements that could be made though, and real estate was actually one of the surest and least effort ways of making money. No wonder landlords were often the first against the wall during times of revolution.

-.

As we left the hotel that morning, we had their in-house messenger deliver a letter to the Ducal estate of the Ortlinde Family. The message boy looked a bit intimidated, and even more so when we flashed our medals. The contents of the note was that were off to visit Viscount Sordrick, and the most convenient time for meeting the court magician (if possible) would be early the next morning. Then we were leaving Alephis the day after that.

Alephis was a beautiful clean city with large wide streets. Like Reflet, the buildings were a strange combination of styles, but now I could see it was mainly for effect. Alephis had surprisingly tall buildings for its tech level, but I guess they just had better idea of masonry and magic to reinforce structures.

While Monika only expressed relief at finally no longer having to deal with those horses, I felt somewhat sad. I'd grown a bit affectionate towards the… cow-horses, as we'd come to call them. We left them in the care of a stable while we hired some city carriages with tall horses with sleek dark coats.

Slim, perfectly managed creatures. They had blinders on their eyes to keep them from being scared off anything unexpected. They wouldn't even know how to start to deal with the world outside their city. In many ways, they reminded of myself as I used to be, and I somewhat disliked them for that.

-.

-.

"Playa-sam-"

"Ah-ah! Still not a high ranked noble. If we're going to play the honorifics game, dono will do."

Elze snorted. "Hah! Like anyone believes that!"

I tilted my nose up snootily. "That is a Jedi Truth, and you will respect it!"

"I surely have no idea what you mean by that, and that is why I have decided to just ignore it," Elze responded, turning her chin up arrogantly high as well.

 _/"Really? Really, Elze? Of all the words you could have chosen, you accidentally arrived on that? You truly are a gift to memelordery. It's a pity only Player and I can appreciate what this means."/_

Yae just continued to stare. "You both get along quite well, this I see."

"… they get along too well at times, I'm afraid," Linze mumbled.

Yae bowed slightly. "Then, please do allow me to say, Playa-dono, Monika-sama… Elze-dono, Linze-dono, thank you for putting up with me so far. I am most grateful for all your help, that I am."

Yae was feeling tremendously out of place. All three (four) of us got along quite well, our personalities meshed together. Yae felt like just someone we picked up along the way, and being rewarded so handsomely for simply just being in the vicinity felt wrong to her.

She believed she had nothing to uniquely contribute, either in conversation or battle ability.

She would be wrong about that though, because the really girls did like having her around. Elze and Linze were likewise strangers to Belfast, and there were conversations that women could only have with each other, you know? Elze and Linze, being twin sisters, had already exhausted most things they could chat about on the road. They were adventurers by choice of profession, not raised from birth to be a warrior like Yae.

We had arrived at Viscount Sordrick's mansion. Compared to a Duke's it was quite… cozy. He probably had land of his own somewhere, however. Baron was the lowest hereditary title with a significant amount of land and obligation to raise arms in the king's defense. To my knowledge, Viscount was the next step over that, so one should expect a larger estate for self-sufficiency.

We gave our names and intent to the gatekeeper, and when we mentioned Zanac he said that the viscount would meet us personally. Odd.

As we waited in his foyer, I soaked in the architectural details. The place I lived in had embraced modernity very thoroughly, and the oldest heritage sites were the few that remained from the turn of the 1900s, the last reminders of our Colonial Era. Mostly stone churches and fortifications. Certainly nothing older dating all the way back to the Renaissance Era. This Sordrick estate felt steeped in history.

A red-haired man soon appeared. He looked very fit, and his eyes were sharp. He was powerful, we could all feel this subconciously. His every movement was light yet tight with tension, like bird of prey circling just waiting for the right moment to swoop down on its target.

"I am Carlossa Galune Swordrick. Are you the messengers that Zanac sent?"

"Indeed we are," I responded, showing the message tube. "We're here to deliver this letter upon his request. We were also asked to receive a response from you to take back with us, if you don't mind."

"I see. Then I request you wait here for a moment. I shall compose a reply." He turned and left the room. This level of curtness was certainly a far cry from the reception we had at Duke Ortlinde's place, but it was to be expected.

After he left, a maid served us tea. I couldn't really tell any difference between different grades of tea, it was all just boiled leaf juice to me. Linze and Elze looked a bit put out at the treatment they were getting though.

"Wow," I mentioned. "It's weird enough that Zanac actually knows a Viscount in the capital, but this guy? Can you imagine what circumstances could possibly have led for Zanac to be friends with such a hardass?"

Linze snorted into her cup. "Mister Zah! That's… mean."

"Why not? I mean, for some reason Zanac is friends with you. I guess it's a lot more explainable, you're both so weird," Elze replied evenly. "But that guy…"

"Please do not disrespect my father's friend in my presence," Yae said softly.

"I was just going to say that he's strong. You haven't met Zanac of Fashion King Zanac like we have. Where does sword and fashion meet, really? Maybe they're just childhood friends. Maybe they're even related."

 _/"You know, the rank of Viscount also has related duties to their station. They are supposed to assist the Count in managing the territory, and as such may have broad powers for dispensing justice and tax collection to the other nobles and lands under them,"/_ Monika said only to my ears.

Monika dear, that just makes Zanac sound like a spy or informant. Reflet is a very long way from the capital anyway.

"… wait. Hang on a minute. Yae, how did Viscount Sordrick help your father anyway? Was there an expedition of some sort to Eashen? Belfast and Eashen are very far from each other, but you have open trade. Eashen is a silk-producing country too, right?

Yae shook her head. "No, it was my father who came here to Belfast, many years ago."

I blinked. Wait, that sounded familiar. "A samurai coming to Europe... showing off his swordsmanship... to the court of Spain? Ahah! JOURNEY OF HONOR! I dimly remember that seeing that!"

 _/"Or more properly, Tsunenaga Hasekura,"/_ Monika pulled up the real-life event that movie was based on.

The girls just looked at me oddly again.

"It was indeed… a journey of honor…?" Yae tried to politely concur while just as confused as the rest.

Soon enough, the Viscount returned and handed over the re-sealed message tube. If it functioned similarly to the Guild cards, probably the only ones who could open it were those whose blood were keyed to the enchantment.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting. You may give this to Zanac," he said. "But before you go-"

He directed his piercing gaze towards Yae. "You – I have been wondering ever since I first laid eyes on you. Have we met before?" He furrowed his brows, thinking it over, then decided "No, I don't think so. Still… what is your name?"

Yae bowed. "My name is Kokonoe Yae, daughter of Konokoe Jubei, that I am."

"Kokonoe…?! Ah! So you're Jubei's daughter! Now I see!" He laughed out loud and slapped at his knees, giving out a broad smile.

His entire being just opened up so suddenly, we were taken aback. He gave Yae a once-over look from her white socks up to the ribbon tying her tall ponytail and grinned happily.

"There's no mistaking it, you are almost the splitting image of your mother, Nanae!" he said. "Well I'm glad you took your looks from your mother and not your old man!"

Yae smiled without a word. She didn't look insulted by that, at least. Ugly guy hot wife syndrome? Well maybe their samurai culture thought effete beautiful men to be unappealing husbands.

I put down my teacup and said "If you would forgive my discourtesy, how do you know Yae's father, Viscount Sordrick?"

The noble's eyes turned back to me, and his gaze returned to a killing sharpness. Why?

Ah. If he were familiar at all with Japanese-like culture or speaking norms, referring to a woman without a honorific implied some personal intimacy. Not necessarily romantic, but at least friendship or being a social superior. On the other hand, we were in a western country and its mores and that wasn't a rule to be followed here.

Yae was just so much easier to say than Kokonoe. I tried to be proper, but I'm lazy like that. Though maybe I could call her Koko...?

Nah. That would be almost like saying I love Moni (ka), which would be objectively true for both things, but also offensive.

"Hmm." The viscount rubbed at his chin. "Right. You see, her father Jubei used to be the instructor of swordsmanship for the Sordrick family. Back when I was just still a sniveling brat, he really put me through the wringer! I was challenged at everything, sometimes I really hated him, sometimes I really respected him, but… it was worth it in the end. Hard to believe it's almost twenty years ago now…"

"My father always says that among the many swordsmen he had trained, none were as wise or as talented as you, Viscount-dono."

"Oho? Well! I'm certainly pleased to hear that. Even if it may be flattery… even if he may be saying that to motivate some new snot-nosed Eashen brats trying to learn the sword, it's heartwarming to hear my old teacher speak highly of me." Once more his demeanor switched to this completely relaxed, disarming manner.

But Yae continued speaking with a serious look on her face. "He also said to me, that if ever I should get a chance to meet you, that I should beg your advice in matters of swordplay, that he did."

"Oho…?" The viscount narrowed his eyes and gave her a thin smile, apparently intrigued by her words. "In that case… who am I to refuse a request from my old master?"

-.

-.

We followed the viscount out to his garden.

All of us raised our eyebrows in surprise. Occupying fully half of it, right up to the tall stone outer walls, was a hugely out of place building. What with its white paper screen walls and dark timber construction, floor raised off the ground like on stilts, and one wall open to the elements. The floor was wide expanse of polished long wooden slats. It looked exactly like a Japanese kendo dojo.

And of course, to enter it like most Asian dwellings, you had to leave your shoes behind and wear provided indoor slippers. The viscount simply walked in barefooted, Yae had little problem because of her wooden sandals and her white socks. Linze complied, following shortly on stockinged feet. Elze and I took a little longer to shuck off our boots.

The viscount went into the back room and emerged wearing a simple training kimono. "Do you like it?" he asked. "This building was planned by Mister Jubei, and was built by my father. This Eashan aesthetic… ah, it's not just for show. So much was learned here."

Yae nodded. "It reminds me of the dojo back home. It makes me feel quite nostalgic, that it does."

"Good. Then you know what to do." The viscount took one practice blade then pointed to the rack of swords near a wall. "Choose the wooden sword that suits you best."

I raised my hand. "I have a question, if you don't mind."

The viscount gave me again a narrow glare. "Go ahead."

"Is your name Sordrick derived from 'sword'?"

He gave me a dull look that implied /'Are you an idiot?'/ "Yes. That is in the name. Sword-rick. It means sword-rich. My family had ever been wealthy in martial accomplishments, and earned everything through service in battle to the crown."

He looked past me to the girls and gave them a look that asked /'Why are you hanging out with this fool?'/

Elze's shrug was a very profound /'Eh'/.

Yae went over to the sword racks and swung several swords to test which length of grip and blade felt right, and eventually nodded. She went over to meet him at the center of the room.

The viscount nonchalantly asked over his shoulder "Are any of you familiar with Healing magic?"

Even Yae couldn't keep from making a small amused sniff. I raised my hand, and so did Linze. "We know some spells, yes…" I replied.

"Then there's no need to hold back. Come at me with all you have!" he said to Yae.

Both Yae and the viscount bowed at each other, and held their swords out in a guard position. They stood there for several moments, just weighing each other's presence. And then Yae dashed forth, thrusting with her sword towards his face. The viscount parried the strike, but slapping it aside gave Yae's sword the extra energy needed for a follow-up swing to cut down at his hips.

The viscount parried that too, and other attacks the followed. He stepped back and gave way in order to avoid some of her attacks than waste energy blocking with his sword.

Yae backed away to catch her breath. The viscount merely stared back, not taking the chance to strike in return.

Yae stepped to the left and began to circle around, and he stepped to the right, refusing to be flanked. Their steps drew them into an inward spiral, the distance between them shrinking and shrinking until their swords touched again and began another furious exchange of blows.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sounds of wood striking wood rang through the dojo. It stopped only once Yae disengaged again, breathing more heavily this time. At no point did the viscount counter-attack, and he merely observed her dispassionately until finally he nodded, apparently reaching a decision.

"I see," the viscount remarked. "What a disgusting sword."

"… p-pardon?"

"We use the same sword style. And I say I can't fault you for any of that. You have learned all that your father could teach you. Your moves are perfect. You use strikes, feints, and retreats with precision. You have no wasted movements. Your stamina could be better, but that is just a matter of your youth. As a student of the sword you are indeed exemplary."

Yae nodded briefly to acknowledge the praise. "But in the end I am just a student? I accept that, I do. What am I missing, Viscount-dono?"

"No, it's not that. I can feel it in your strikes. What surety you had – is gone. Your strikes are firm, and yet also full of hesitation. Your movements are swift, and yet full of doubt! What confidence you used to have in your sword… it is shaken."

Yae stood silent for many moments. Then she firmed her grip on her sword and put one foot forward. "I… am ashamed. That is true."

The viscount grinned fiercely. "You've just seen the power of magicians, didn't you? For so long you thought that if you had speed and skill, that would be all you needed, didn't you? That if you could just strike first, respond faster, over those who neglected their innate fighting ability…"

Then he raised his sword slightly and stepped to the left. "But that was arrogant! You were just a frog in the pond, so sure of your own power. And then you met a magician that also understood the value of speed. Because of course anyone who sought to be of value to their nation would not be an idiot… they would also realize this weakness. Who is the fool to think her enemies would only be such fools?"

"…" Yae bit her lip and did not respond.

/"Oh. I certainly didn't expect that. Yae always looked so calm and so sure of herself. A true stoic samurai warrior, I thought."/

I winced. I didn't realize it either. None of us certainly thought Yae at any point was inferior. Elze, Linze, and I… we could accomplish so much because we benefited from the esoteric magical buffs that Monika could provide. It didn't seem quite fair to compare us to normal magicians.

"I have been there too," the viscount admitted. "Generations of this family had to contend with magicians having power and influence for far less effort. What is the solution? When all you have is a sword…"

"Wait hang on, I thought you said everyone gets magic?" I whispered to Linze.

She whispered back "Not everyone gets strong magic. Most people live without ever using magic after all."

"… And the length of your arm to swing it," The viscount merely seemed to flick his entire body and then suddenly he was by Yae's side. By instinct, she slashed at him. Their swords clacked against each other again. "How do you reach them? How do you bridge the gap?"

He kicked out, and Yae turned her body to evade the blow. Without letting go of her sword block, she swung in return with her elbow aimed for her opponent's solar plexus. He grinned and broke off contact, a single step back flinging him several stride-lengths away.

Real samurai, like real knights, didn't just fight with clashing their blades against each other. There was by necessity a lot of body blows in there too.

"You can block a sword. How do you block fire? How do you block curses? Poison? False rumors? Fighting is not all there is to victory… your father had to earn respect in this kingdom the hard way!"

"I can block a sword," Yae admitted. She closed her eyes, and remembered… and later she told me about a vision of slashing ice cutters, cast effortlessly and swiftly, a zone of absolute death. A burning hellscape on the other side, that would have destroyed a hundred armed men. "I cannot block a thousand swords."

"You are proficient with the sword, but proficiency is not enough. It's not enough to simply have the resolve to kill." The viscount scoffed, "What is that? Any child could do that.

"No, the true mark of skill is how you act when you have none of the advantages. Not the skill gap between master and student, not the strength gap between adult and child, but an absolute difference in power. How does one become sword-rich in a kingdom built on magical power?!"

Yae bowed slightly, but wisely kept her sword up to guard. "Please tell me the solution!" she begged.

-.

.-


	19. The Darkness Within the Sword

**The Darkness Within the Sword**

* * *

..

..

The Viscount nodded and shifted the hold on his wooden sword to a two-handed grip. "When your father left this country, he left many magicians more humble and wiser in their ways. They, who lived always trying to draw attention to their exploits, could never imagine the darkness that could live inside the sword."

"I… do not understand."

"No one does. Not until they feel it for themselves." The viscount raised his sword high in a simple overhand strike position. Now, finally, he unsealed his aggression. We could all feel that electric feeling in the air. Or was it in our nerves, tingling in response to danger?

I frowned. What was this… pressure?

"Now! En garde!" He took just one step forward, but he closed the entire distance between him and Yae, accomplishing with the tips of his toes something that for me required a wind surge.

"Wha-?!" Yae responded quickly by raising her sword to block.

And then in the next moment, she was toppling over to the side, a spatter of blood coming out her mouth. I could see the droplets hanging in the air.

Slam.

Yae collapsed onto the floor, sliding off to a stop a short distance way. She bent inwards into a fetal position, moaning and gingerly touching her sides.

"Yae!" Elze gasped.

She ran over to Yae's side. "T-that's enough!" she screamed up at the viscount.

"Yes. It is." He looked far too relaxed, putting his wooden blade over his shoulder. "Try not to move too much. I probably broke some of your ribs," he told Yae.

Then he beckoned over to me and Linze. "You there! Come and heal her."

We rushed over. I put my hand over her midsection and muttered "[Diagnosis]" at the same time Monika said it privately.

Her ribs were broken. Had it been a real fight with real swords, Yae would now be cut in half. Yae's face was all twisted in agony.

My blood began to pound with hot rage. I looked up and glared. "You bastard!"

"Ooh? What are you trying to do, boy? Tickle me?" the viscount sneered. "Just attack if you want to attack, don't bark like a little dog."

FINE THEN.

I stomped down with one foot, the floorboards splintering under me. "Wi-"

 _/"Player, stop."/_

"[Boost]. Playa, stop!" Elze forced down my shoulders with her enhanced strength. "Think about what you're doing!"

... Skulls for the Skull Throne?

"… tch." I forcefully unclenched my fists. Fine. There's no need to be stupid xianxia hero making unnecessary enemies. I looked at his eyes, and though there was contempt there, I could feel no malice towards Yae.

Despite the mercilessness of his attack, he showed real concern. But not regret. Damn samurai philosophies. I growled again.

The viscount let out an amused little 'Heh'.

Oddly enough, this kingdom's defenders actually willing to be so ruthless actually made me feel a bit better about them being able to protect Sue and her family. Maybe they just had terrible OPSEC.

Beside me, Linze murmured "Come forth, Light. Soothing comfort, Priority Please, [CURE HEAL!]"

"Yae?!"

Yae let out a strangled little gasp as her injuries knit together. She opened her eyes slowly and gingerly sat up. "I… I am fine. T-thank you for your help. This unworthy one apologizes for troubling you."

"Did you see?" the viscount asked.

Yae looked up, and through the lingering echoes of pain there was only confusion.

Viscount Sordrick shook his head sadly. "An excellent sword, but there is no darkness in it. You fight with clarity and decisiveness, even if your heart wavers your grip never loses its strength."

"And because of this, you will never be able to break past the limits of your training. You swing your sword, and that's all that it is!"

What the heck even is the sword philosophy nonsense? I frowned and stood up and spat at him, "And what's wrong with that?! That's what a sword is. A sharp bit of metal to stab your enemy with!"

He just chuckled lightly at me. "Another one who fails to see. But then, someone like you never needed to, didn't you? Unlike that excellent swordswoman there, you do have some darkness in you, boy."

"… somehow your praise just pisses me off even further," I hissed out through grit teeth.

I had to remind myself that attacking the kingdom's noble law enforcement personnel in their own home would lead to a whole heap of political consequences I was not prepared to drag the girls into for my own immediate satisfaction.

The Viscount ignored my reply and walked past us. He turned his head and spoke over his shoulder, "There are many paths to strength, and not all of them require sacrifice. Learn what you want from your sword, daughter of Jubei, and that will lead you to your true way.

"Once you find that darkness inside the blade, you may come find me again. Only then will you be able to learn why those who live in the light of magic will always fall under the shadow of that blade."

He turned away and just left us alone there in the dojo.

Yae just stared dully at his back. The confusion from before had faded into this numb disbelief.

"I still… I still do not understand. What am I doing wrong?" she mumbled. "I know I saw his sword… and then I was hit? If we were using the same Konokoe style, then… what I do fail to see about my father's own teachings, what is it?!"

Elze patted her shoulders. "Don't mind it too much… battles are as much about luck anyway! Well… if you lost, then that's that. So next time it's okay to cheat!"

"… Elze-dono, you are not helping… you are not," Yae remarked with a long-suffering sigh.

-.

* * *

-.

We decided to leave quickly, before the Viscount realized he could probably make us pay for the damage to his dojo's floor. It was the least amount of spiteful inconvenience we could do to a loyal servant of the Belfast crown.

 _/"Why do you look so defeated?"/_ asked Monika. _/"Surely you have lost matches against stronger fighters than you before. He is a veteran of the sword, of course he would win."/_

"It is not that, Monika-sama. I understand … that the world is indeed a very big place. My road to becoming strong is a very long one, that is so…" Yae replied in a heavy whisper. "It is what he said. I am missing something fundamental about my own family sword style. All this time, I have believed I was growing, but have I been doing something wrong all this time?"

Elze hesitantly offered "Well, I don't understand all this talk about sword styles and such. But if your father taught you how to use a sword, then probably he didn't hold back on teaching you what you needed to know."

"Then the fault can only be mine. I have failed to learn, that is my failure, yes. I have shamed my family and wasted their teachings!"

Admitting this seemed to drain all the strength from her. Yae slumped on her seat, resting her elbows on her knees.

It was not that she was weak, that alone wouldn't be enough to discourage her. _'Just swing your sword some more until you grow strong!'_ is what she would have said.

But to dishonor her entire martial lineage, now that was terrifying. An inherent flaw would make all effort pointless in the end, poor metal would break no matter how skilled the smith.

"… Truly, a disgusting sword," she mumbled to herself.

I sighed and began to rub at the bridge of my nose. This whole thing… well, it was sounding really familiar, the whole high concept swordsmanship so common in the anime I've seen before. Then again, this was a fantasy world, so a lot of those fighting spirit vs technique nonsense might actually be valid.

By the way, since the obvious answer to _"How do I reach a magician before he can kill me?"_ is _"Use a gun,"_ I was certainly resolved not to introduce firearms to this fantasy world and disrupt its careful balance of power.

"What even is the darkness in the sword anyway?" I asked idly. "I mean, that didn't look all that impressive. It was just a crosscut slash."

"Did you see it?" Elze asked me. "I was there, and I didn't see him move at all! It's like I blinked, and then you were down on the ground!" she told Yae next. Her voice was far too excited for trying to help Yae make sense of it all.

My speed was not beyond Elze's ability to perceive. But if the Viscount Sordrick could do that, then none of us stood a chance.

"Or did you get it from your [Diagnosis] of her injuries?" Linze asked in a more reasonable tone.

"Mmm. It was a slash going down from the ribs through the hips, and if it were a real sword would have severed the spine and cut you in half," I told Yae.

"A fearsome strike." She nodded, and then looked down, still puzzled. "But… I was so sure… that strike makes no sense. I could see it coming down from above, and then I was hit from the side."

 _/"… well that's strange. I could see it was certainly just coming from the side,"/_ Monika said.

"Mmm. It's no [Kuzu Ryu Sen], but impressive enough, I suppose."

That was a famed technique from Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, of the Rurouni Kenshin anime. Nine-Headed Dragon Flash, a technique that slashed with the sword nine times at practically the same time, the godspeed blade almost impossible to defeat head-on except by the actual ultimate technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi school.

Yae looked up. She blinked at me. She looked to the side, at Monika projected onto the side of the darkened carriage. She blinked again. And one more time. And like a switch, it's like life returned back to her eyes.

"You could see it…" she whispered. She gave out a little laugh. "Of course you could see it, your eyes are a kami's eyes!"

Monika winced a bit. _/"Ehh. While it is true that I can perceive things at such speed that I can see even the flapping of a housefly's wings, that's not what we're talking about."/_

She reached past the edge of the carriage corner and pulled out a window from nowhere. Then, she showed everyone inside the carriage her recording of the fight.

"Astounding! What- what is this magic! I can see myself, and… Viscount-dono too! Elze-dono and Linze-dono…" Yae's brows furrowed as she realized what was missing. "I don't see Playa-dono…"

"Ooh. So this is what you mean when you said you would always be able to recall everything you could see. I didn't realize you could also show it to others," Elze figured. "Though it's not actually you doing it, it's Miss Monika's power, so you were just lying to all of us."

"Um… I don't think that's fair," Linze demurred. "Since it is necessary for Miss Monika to allow Mister Zah to see clearly in the first place."

Yae turned to look me then back to Monika again, looking awestruck. "This is a powerful magic, it is."

I just shrugged in response. Monika drew our attention back to her window and from the start she replayed the watched silently until the end, until the part where Yae was struck down. Elze and Linze winced, and watching it again didn't help reduce any the sudden rush of anger.

Yae touched at her waist, remembering the pain of her shattered ribs. But her face, staring at the projection, held only a dispassionate curiosity.

Elze pointed out how ready I was to charge at the viscount. I didn't even touch my sword, my first reaction was to punch out with an air hammer to open up the range.

"You would have your arms just cut off," she noted. "Well, if it was a real sword. I really thought you had a better temper than this. Whatever happened to being able to shrug off being provoked?"

"Insults to me I can deal with all day. But you can't expect me just to do nothing and watch you get hurt!"

Yae glanced to Monika standing by the side of the screen. "Could this be repeated? Could I see the moment of the strike again, if I may?"

"Of course! As many times as you like."

The Viscount started with the sword held up over his head, took a flying step forward with his arms curving down to slash at her side. It was a simple efficient move executed at speed. But it was certainly not 'too fast to perceive' speed.

"… I see." Yae muttered softly. "A shadow sword."

 _/"… a what now?"/_

"It is a technique that turns your intense fighting spirit into a blade. As an illusion it does not have any substance, but being made of spirit it has a presence you can feel, it does. That is why, before you even realize it, you have to acknowledge its existence. The viscount set his shadow sword to attack from above while his real strike struck me into the side… clad in a distracting amount of fighting spirit, while the real one I couldn't feel came from the side!"

Yae slapped her palms together into combined clenched fists of contrition and respect. "I took the bait that he set, that I did!"

 _/"That's… interesting. It's not like a magic illusion that makes something to deceive your senses. It only really affects those that are looking at it directly. Now that there isn't the Viscount's sword spirit, we can all see what really happened. Player, what do you think?"/_

"Huh. That's… nifty. Instead of trying to fool your enemy's senses or stop his ability to cast, you directly attack his ability to make decisions! I can see how this can screw up so many mages. You throw out your soul making him subconsciously accept _'I'm going to do this'_ and then do something else entirely."

Heck, if it affected multiple people due to crowd psychology, a single swordsman could dominate whole groups of attackers without fear. That certainly explained the usual one warrior defeating hordes of mooks problem. If you can fool sword intent, you should also be able to read sword intent.

"Did you see it?" Elze asked again.

 _/"Player only sees what I allow him to see,"/_ Monika answered for me. _/"Even if his judgement might be fooled by sword intent, I will always be able to remind him by flashing symbols of reality."/_

Like some sort of flashing color overlay over the real blade, maybe. The [Quick Time Event] doesn't really care about anything other than reflex time.

Yae smiled. "My swordsmanship has no dark side, now I see what he means, yes. Sometimes you don't wait for openings in your enemy's guard, but must make them yourself, you must!"

"Well, yes? Of course? That's what I said," Elze had to point out. "Cheat."

I grinned at her. "Monika, make a note please. One of these days we should really upgrade Elze's gauntlets with an integrated boltgun or a flamethrower."

Then another thought occurred to me. I held up my hand and turned towards Yae. "Wait, so if there is a technique to make a _shadow_ sword, then why didn't you just think the Viscount was talking about it _literally_?"

"That is not what a shadow in the blade means, Playa-dono. How do you make the sword outside the blade without the shadow already inside your swordsmanship? To use your own fighting spirit as a weapon, your own spirit must be a weapon first."

"… that sounds like a tautology, but ok. I'll just be satisfied with my KE equals em vee squared."

Yae looked at me in incomprehension, then slowly her gaze turned intense.

"I am reminded of something viscount-dono said. Monika-sama protects you from sword intent, that is completely to be expected, that it is. The soul of a swordsman against the soul of a kami…?" Yae shook her head, this day was showing her so much how the world was unfair and how much harder she had to work to find her real strength.

But that didn't scare her. As long as she had a goal to work hard towards, then she would never hesitate on whatever she needed to do to get there. "It is is interesting, but it is also interesting what was said about you… the Viscount said that **you also have darkness in you**."

 _/"A Deep and Dark History,"/_ Monika intoned ominously. _/"It is made of maximum cringe."/_

"… Monika, no." I turned back towards Yae, and felt a little bit creeped out by the attention. "Well, I'm an amateur at the sword compared to you, so... uh, he probably meant only a basic lack of honor in swordsmanship. My entire fighting style is based completely around attacking the enemy's weak point with all my strength."

You know. Cheat in the all the time with the anything and the everything. A magic swordsman was an unfair existence.

Yae just shook her head, clearly not believing that.

"Playa-dono…" Yae whispered with a strange urgency. "Please allow me to cross swords with you!"

"… Dammit."

* * *

\- end A Darkness Within the Sword end -


	20. Interlude 7

Interlude 7 – Their thoughts in the city

* * *

-.

"Heh. He ran away." Elze chuckled lightly as she watched Playa just powerwalk his way down the street trying not to look like he was in a hurry.

"… did I offend?" Yae asked, confused. "I must apologize, that I do."

"Nah. Playa is used to girls (or just me) kicking his butt all over the place. He's not really that good with the sword, you know? But if you want a real fight, he'll have to mix in magic all sorts of the weird magic that he likes, and that's why when we spar we do it out in the wilderness."

"I see. So yours is the very opposite of dojo training, that it is!" Yae nodded, looking even more satisfied with things.

As soon as the carriage arrived back at the inn, Playa suggested that they take the time to shop and take in the capital city. Tomorrow would be all business again, though they didn't need to accompany him back to the Duke's estate. Linze was very interested in that, since she was a magician and had Light magic for healing too. Elze and Yae could go without the long boring academic talk though.

Yae said she would prefer to stay by his side and learn what she could about magic. And since that would leave Elze alone with nothing to do, she sighed and decided she might as well just tag along and lounge around the estate with her every whim being attended to by servants.

But that was for tomorrow. That afternoon was a girl's afternoon.

"You did give back the earbuds, right?" Elze asked Linze.

"Yes. Although… w-won't it make it more difficult for Miss Monika to find us if any one of us gets into trouble?"

"What do you think this place is? Bern? Alephis actually does have good public order for sensible folk, you know." Elze groaned and stretched out, feeling her sinews loosen after a very long time under tension. She shivered in relief. "It's been a very long time since we've been able to talk without Monika hanging over our words."

They walked around and looked at the shops and then stopped at a café for a little bit. Elze frowned at the prices, but considering how they were each walking around with about one Platinum in loose change, they could afford to splurge a bit.

"You know, before we left Reflet… I made all of sixteen copper by my own power, and I was happy with that. While Linze and Playa were studying, the only thing I could really do was work hard to earn my way. So I had all of forty two copper… four silvers… and when we saw that deliver request for seven silver I thought it was a nice way to get two more silver for very little work," Elze began to tell Yae about their work as adventurers.

"But because Mister Zanac was friends with Playa he offered us a whole gold, ten silver, instead of just seven silver," Linze had to add. "So… that is three silver for each of us. Thirty copper, at two coppers per day at the inn, it is enough to live on for half a month. And Mister Zanac also provided for traveling expenses, so we didn't even have to pay costs out of our expected rewards!"

Elze nodded. "Like most things in life, it's not what you can do but who you know, huh? And since we know Playa, I thought… money just keeps falling onto his palms, huh? No wonder he doesn't care about things like that, he's just that lucky."

Then Elze sighed and rested her head down on the table. "So I thought, that was fine. It would just be a nice trip, we could see Belfast's capital city instead of the sad excuse of a capital we had in Refreese."

"Refreese… ah, the country to the west, is that it?" Yae asked.

"It's a... poor place," Linze answered. "We… we came here to make money. Two silver just for traveling back and forth in under two weeks? Craftsmen d-don't make that much in a whole month!"

Yae smiled. "… I see. Then are you not lucky as well?"

Elze grimaced again. "We met you, and that's lucky enough. Then just a few hours after that, we fought some lizardmen, rescued the daughter of a duke, healed someone from a mortal wound to his chest. At the time I didn't think we were lucky… it's someone else that was lucky we were nearby. I fought… and I liked it. I helped with rescue, and really the thought of a reward never really entered my mind."

"Very admirable, that is so."

"Yesterday I had _**four silver**_ and counted myself well-off. Right now I have **_one hundred silver_** with me, and **_nine hundred more_** waiting in the Guild. Luck? This isn't luck! This is ridiculous! I'd thought I'd have to sell my soul (or at least my dignity) before I'd even believe something this good could ever happen to me."

Elze looked up and glared through narrowed eyes at her sister. "Do you understand what I'm saying? Just one platinum could have aunt and uncle live well for years. YEARS. I thought it would take us years to even begin to repay the debt of goodwill we owed them."

Linze cutely tilted her head to the side. "… yes? Isn't that a good thing? I'm also a little scared that so many good things are happening to us so fast, but… it's not like anything bad is expected of us."

"That's what bothers me most, you know? Playa doesn't even care. He probably doesn't even think this is unusual! He just blithely trundles along and then – wham! Money just throws itself at him! Adventure throws itself at him. That's not even luck anymore! It's just stupid."

Yae giggled lightly. "Playa-sama is a man beloved by the gods. Or, to be more precise, one specific god, that he is."

Linze shook her head and firmly stated "Miss Monika is human. Or was human once."

"A kami can be many things from many different things. Lands, even objects, may even through centuries have a little god of their own."

Elze snorted. "And that's why it's a good thing Monika and Playa can't hear us right now. They'd be insufferable. Them and their little jokes that no one understands…"

"So why do you not trust Monika-sama? Should you not rejoice that you have the favor of the heavens?"

"Didn't you hear they type of things that she says? _/'Player only sees what I allow him to see'/_. Playa is soo lucky, okay. But sometimes I worry that he's too dependent on her… and if we get too dependent on Monika too, what do we actually have?"

Linze looked at her, frowning slightly. "Sis, I don't understand. Miss Monika really doesn't seem like she'd be malicious like that. She's not a god, she doesn't require our worship. And given how much you nitpick Mister Zah, it's not like she is easy to offend."

"It's been less than a month. LESS THAN A MONTH! We started just hoping to break even from adventuring, and now we can JUST STOP. We have more than enough to buy land, buy a trade!" Elze hissed.

She raised her fist and shook it in their faces. "What's the use of this, huh? For what did I bust my butt doing all that training before leaving the farm? I never worked for any of this, it just happened to me!"

Yae nodded. "I see. It does not feel right when you do not gain things by your own power. It feels like you are treated like a child. As if you cannot have things without being gifted them."

"Yeah. And I mean you… you're fine," Elze waved towards Yae. "You're born of a warrior family. This sort of epic adventure is the sort of thing you wanted to find to prove your strength in the first place, right?"

Yae sat stiffly and considered it. "… I must admit that I feel fortunate to have this opportunity, that is so. But… it is not just an honor to fight beside such a brilliant warrior as Playa-dono or under the auspices of Monika-kami-sama, but also fighters such as yourselves! You underestimate your own worth as a warrior, you are an excellent and inspirational fighter, Elze-san."

"That's fine for you, but Linze and I are just some / **random peasants** / from / **nowhere** / whose only luck was to be born with some better than usual innate abilities. We worked and trained to become adventurers. But… just adventurers."

Elze then let out a loud moan. "But we're not heroes. We're not built for this sort of epic adventure that trails along in Playa's wake. I mean, come on! Who is ready for that? Are you ready for that? Things were just nice and simple before… now we have more money than what we ever know what to do with, and high-ranking nobles have their eye on us."

"… sis, what are you really saying? Do you want to stop traveling with Mister Zah and Miss Monika?"

"I'd like to, that would be the sane thing to do. Just take the money and go home. We're done."

Linze looked terrified. "… are we?"

"Eh. No." Elze pouted and began to run her finger around the rim of her teacup. "I don't feel like a hero. But someone has to keep Playa reined in, and Monika doesn't have the hands to do it.

"I'm starting to understand why he enjoys his life so much… It's exciting to know that just you being there matters. That you have the power to change other people's lives for the better. I don't feel like a hero, but in time… I think I might get to like it."

"Oh thank goodness…!" Linze cried out. She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes.

"Linze…? Are you… are you crying? Wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" Elze began to wave her arms about in panic.

"I don't… I really don't want to l-leave… no, I'm sorry!" the girl wiped at her cheeks and put up a brave grin. "If you ever decided to leave of course I would follow you. It's… it's been great being part of the team, but if that's for the best then I won't complain.

"But you… you're the one that deals best with Mister Zah after all. Miss Monika and I even get a little jealous sometimes how well you two get along…"

Elze winced. Linze's crush was really just so obvious, Playa should be able to see that. And of course Monika was sure to notice that too, so that was another thing to make her anxious about their whole situation.

Yae just looked really uncomfortable not knowing how to deal with feminine emotional outbursts.

-.

.-

* * *

AN: Apologies for the delay in updating. Was having storm problems.


	21. Are You a Clown?

**Are You a Clown?**

* * *

-.

 _/"This certainly feels strange…"/_ Monika remarked as we aimlessly ambled down the street.

"How so?"

 _/"It's been such a long time that we've been really left to ourselves. In fact, we haven't spent a single day in this other world without you being in the company of others. You get along with people so well, I find it hard to believe you were ever an introvert or depressed."/_

"Mmm. I don't know. Robin Williams. Anthony Bourdain. Brian Randall. Just because you look successful, productive, and are loved, doesn't mean you have achieved happiness. If depression was rational and could be driven away by mere arguments to look at the good things in your life, it wouldn't be depression."

I smiled and continued, smiling softly, "Sometimes the things that make us most envied are the things that torture us. Just because I feel relaxed in these conditions doesn't mean I'd feel the same way in others."

 _/"… now you've just made me sad. I remember now how people who give others so much joy may actually leave it too early. The grass is always greener on the other side, and even those who seek only the 'low-key no-stress life' may in the end tangle with feelings of inferiority and futility."/_

Monika may be an artificial girl, but she had clear memories of her childhood and enjoying Robin Williams movies. That such a jolly person would actually commit suicide was a surprise to everyone. So it turned out 'Clowns are the saddest people' was not just a trite ironic saying after all.

Monika put a finger to her lips and said, _/"I remember an old story…_

 _/"A man was being chased. It was a dark moonless night, so dark that he could barely make out the trees in front of him, or the thick underbrush. All he knew was that he was in a forest and that there was something hunting him. Something big and angry and he thought he could see the eyes in the darkness behind him._

 _/"It sounded a lot like an angry cat. And the eyes were getting closer._

 _/"The man was out of breath now but he still pushed on._

 _/"That's exactly when the ground ran out, and he felt only empty air under his feet. He was falling now, on the side of the cliff. He flailed helplessly, and miraculously, grabbed something small and hardy. It was a branch. He clung to it desperately, with both hands and then craned upward to find a white tiger peering down from the top of the cliff. He heard another growl under him and found another white tiger at the bottom of the cliff. It was waiting for him down there, circling around impatiently._

 _/"Then the man heard squeaking sounds, and two mice crept out of a hole on the cliff-wall, one white and another black and began chewing on the branch that he was holding onto. He felt the branch give a bit, and he dropped a few inches - That's when he noticed a fruit on another branch beside the one he was hanging on. He plucked the fruit, chewing it, and then declared happily, 'Ah, this is life.'"/_

"Hm. I don't quite remember that. What's the moral?"

 _/"It's about the Buddhist inspired concept of mindfulness, about living in the moment. All the pain, hurt, anxiety, is either reaching out from the past (the tiger that was chasing the man), or in the future (the tiger in the future). All anybody can do is live in the moment and be happy. Eat the fruit you have now. Reach out to the people around you while you still can._

/(The mice are Time. The white one, day, and the dark one, night.)"/

"Oh. I see now. For all that we might rage about it, no person no matter how great their power or wealth, can defeat Death. The now is all that we have."

 _/"This also makes me suspicious about whatever cheer you have, Player. What makes you actually happy here?"/_

"You?"

 _/"Try again,"/_ she replied flatly.

"Because…" I took a deep breath and then belted out, "BECAUSE IT'S A PLACE WHERE I CAN BE ONLY ME!"

"A place where I can be~!" I began to sing. Not very well. "As I make my myself!

\- "Nothing behind me, and everything ahead,

\- A city of dreams, and never dread,

\- I'm happy just to see…!

\- A world full of magic and mystery!

\- A place where I can be only me!"

 _/"… are we doing this? Really? Are we doing this now? A song-and-dance number? Really?"/_ Monika looked taken aback. _/"I know you like being random, but Player, really? How long have you been itching for a chance to segue this into a conversation?"/_

I began to take long strides and swing my arms from side to side.

\- "It's a beautiful day in Belfast,

\- "It's a beautiful day in Alephis, you see!

\- "It's a beautiful day to be no one – but me!

\- "The man who looks at no one – but you!"

 _/"People are looking at you like you're some kind of lunatic, you know. I really wonder if you would actually have dared to do this if Elze and Linze were around."/_

Well of course not. That would be ridiculous and humiliating. I wouldn't dare to be this shameless in front of people whose opinions I actually cared about. And yes I did care very much about Monika's opinion, but having her smile or frown my antics was a win-win situation either way.

If I could not dare to be a fool in love, could I really say that I have ever loved?

\- "Why should I care, and why should you?

\- "I don't know any of these yahoos

\- "They don't know my name

\- "I am beyond shame!

\- "Their opinions don't matter one whit-

\- "TO MEEE!"

I began to joyfully spread my arms and people had to move to keep from getting accidentally punched in the face. Even a tall well-muscled minotaur beastkin decided to cross the street than to deal with this fully enthusiastic idiocy.

\- "It's a beautiful day in Beeeelfast,

\- "It's a beautiful day in Alephis, you see!

\- "It's a beautiful day to be no one – but me!"

"Ack!"

\- "It's a day to- oof!"

I stopped, having bumped into someone.

I glanced down to see that a little girl had fallen down, having run into me. She had long blond hair and tall ears with dark tips poking up from her head, even though she had a regular pair of human ears on the sides of her face too? She had a long fluffy white tail curled protectively around her as she sat on the ground, rubbing her face from running into my swinging legs.

She ran into the side of my legs, we were both not looking where we were going. Fortunately, I did not accidentally kick her in face.

 _/"Foxgirl! Eeee!"/_ Monika squealed.

I dropped down to one knee and held out a hand to help her up. "Are you all right? Sorry about that."

She looked up at me, and fearfully cringed back.

"Don't worry, I'm not a suspicious person."

Monika sighed. _/"That's exactly what a suspicious person would say. Let me talk to her."/_

A changed my open hand to a pointing finger, a 'hang on' gesture and reached into my bag. I took out the cube-shaped projector and held it lens-up in my palm. I activated the projector and then whispered "Come forth, Water, [Mist]."

Carefully I imagined that a thick mist should emerged well above my palm, around the level of my fingertips.

And then Monika projected herself onto the water-saturated air with scanning light beams from below. All in glorious low definition, very much like Princess Leia's hologram. A light-printed image, technically. It was only very recently that we were able to figure this out. Magic came naturally to us, but making the most out of our existing technology in the framework of what magic allowed was still something that took practice.

Far more efficient than just magic or tech alone, though.

"Hello there!" Monika greeted the girl. "Don't be afraid. We're not bad people."

"A ma-magic show!" the little beastkin girl gasped out. She looked up at me in awe and asked, "Mister, are you a clown?"

Monika didn't even hesitate. _/"… yes. The answer is Yes."/_

So it turned out that the little fox girl was lost in the city. And it looked like no one wanted to help her. It was a familiar sight, it wasn't just that people in the big city have cold hearts but also feared that showing kindness to the innocent would just be a trap.

If you help someone they might come back to ask again and become dependent and then come to resent you when you fail to help them anymore due to charity starting to look like parasitism. Child beggars may become a form of child labor, packs of children sent out to earn money instead of going to school. It's a common problem in third-world nations, and even dates back to Charles Dickens and his story of Oliver Twist in the coal-streaked industrialized chaos of old London.

 _/"So… you were separated from your companion?"/_ Monika asked. _/"That's scary. Do you have any idea where you could stay so they could find you again?"/_

"Um- we… we dediced… um, decided, that if we ever got split up, t-there's a place we could meet up! But I don't know where the placey is. "

"Excuse me a moment."

Monika vanished from the projection then appeared back on my screen. She presented her virtual image as if clutching my head. _/"Her mispronouncing words is cute. SO CUTE. My maternal feelings are on overdrive!"/_

Heh. Well, people fear being taken advantage of. But if you have enough power, you don't have to fear showing kindness. If this was a trap, those poor idiots who would be using this poor child as bait would shortly come to severely regret their life choices.

And then Monika reappeared. _/"So where is this placey-wacey?"/_

"Um, a magicky shop called Luca, I thinks?"

Ah, probably not a trap then. Pity. Well, helping a lost child was its own good.

 _/"Ah. I see. There it is. That's no problem at all."/_ Monika plugged it into her minimap and the fated trail lines overlaid our vision. / _"We could take you there, if that's all right with you?"/_

The foxgirl stared at Monika's small transparent figure, then up at my face. Then, hesitantly, she nodded. "I'm… I'm Arma."

 _/"Hello Arma, I'm Monika."/_

"Hello Army, I'm Navy."

Monika sighed. _/"And this clown is Zah Playa."/_

Arma curtsied politely. Children in these times had a lot of freedom and self-reliance. No 'stranger-danger' panic just yet. A part of me was terribly afraid about that for all their sakes, what would have happened to Arma if someone else had come along?

Just recently we had saved royalty from kidnapping just because of anti-beastkin sentiment. Though the Duke did say the capital was the center of lawful protections, so there was hope a police patrol might have helped her eventually.

But Magic Shop Luca wasn't that far away anyway.

"Do you live here in Alephis, Army girl?"

 _/"Player, don't. I can just see you running that joke into the ground."/_

No. I would totally kamikaze that joke into the ground. Witness meee! Okay I'll stop.

"No… no sir. My sis had work to do here, I w-wanted to see the capital too. Um. You?"

"We had work to do too, but we're leaving day after tomorrow. This is actually my first time visiting Alephis too."

Arma blinked. Then softly she asked "If sho, then how do you know where to find…?"

 _/"MAGIC!"/_ Monika answered her question before the girl could finish.

"… that sounds legit," Arma had to admit.

-.

.-

\- "IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THIS HERE CITY

\- "SO MANY SIGHTS STILL LEFT TO SEE

\- "AIN'T GOT NO MONEY SO WE JUST GOTTA SING

\- "NO NEED TO WORRY WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING!"

We marched down the streets, singing loudly and rudely. The little foxgirl stiffly swung her arms up and down. A very serious look was on her face.

\- "ALEPHIS SOUNDS LIKE A WHOLE LOTTA FISH!

\- "IF I'M HUNGRY GONNA HAVE TO LAKE MY OWN WISH!"

"Oh look! There it is. There SHE is!" Arma broke off suddenly. "SIS!"

She jumped up and began waving. An older fox beastkin standing in front of the shop perked up her ears and began running towards us.

The two sisters ran at each other and the younger foxgirl was swept up into a hug. "I was so worried!" the older foxgirl said. "How could you get lost- I told you to stay close!"

"I'm shorry," Arma mumbled into her sister's chest. Then she looked up and said brightly "But it wasn't that scary. Mister Playa and Miss Monika here helped me!"

It was only now that the foxy lady noticed us. We waved back in greetings. I was still holding the projector cube with Monika remaining visible.

"They're clowns!" Arma added helpfully.

Monika palmed her face and began to laugh uncontrollably. / _"I am recording all of this for the girls to see later, you realize?"/_

With respect to Robin Williams, there is literally nothing wrong with being a clown.

-.

.-

Arma was a golden-haired young foxgirl wearing rough but cute commoner clothes. Her sister, introducing herself as Olga Strand, had a more martial air. Her hair was tied back behind into a ponytail by a large green bow. Her irises, unlike Arma's warm vulpine-yellow eyes, were more of severe ruby red.

She was wearing a blue military-looking coat over a skirt that was open in front, exposing her riding pants and tall black leather cavalry boots. Her hair was more of a reddish fox hue and her tail was much larger and bushier with a white tip.

She bowed in thanks again. "Thank you for helping my sister, sir." Olga blinked and stared down at Monika's flickering image and seemed to dismiss her as a magic trick. She reached into her pocket. "Could I… repay you somehow?"

 _/"Ahaha, no that's not necessary. Despite all the singing, money is the one thing we don't lack right now."/_ Monika looked up and glared at me. _/"Player, don't you dare. There has to be a limit to your money-grubbing ways."/_

I nodded. "Instead of that… do you happen to have something else to do this afternoon? Maybe you have time to join me for tea so we can talk about what's there to see in Alephis?"

 _/"… Player. Are you seriously trying to pick up another girl? Right in front of me, even?"/_ She put a finger to her chin. _/"Although, the fact that this is deliberate now rather than accidental does make me feel better about your self-confidence."/_

"Monika please. We are new here in Alephis. And look – someone who either lives in Alephis, or is also here for work. We have common ground to talk about!"

 _/"Lies. You just want to Touch Fluffy Tail, don't you?"/_

"There is no need for that salacious tone, woman!" I replied in mock injury. "My intentions are pure and purely hands-free!" I wiggled the fingers in my other hand to demonstrate. Also the fact that she even knew that meme proved her intentions were hardly so innocent either.

Olga stared at the wriggling digits with suspicion. "Umm. Actually, we had actually best be heading home right now, I'm sorry. Couldn't I just… pay you?"

Alma's ears drooped. "Sis…? We don't really have more time?"

I smiled and nodded. "That's fine too. It's fine to be suspicious of strangers too." I reached into my pack and brought out a piece of paper. "I'm based mainly on Reflet, just visiting the capital for now. If you ever need anything or in that part of the country, please feel free to drop in at the Silver Moon Inn.

"We deal with medicine, open air sound systems, and wide scale extermination. My references include the Duke of Ortlinde, if ever you have the chance to ask someone in the House of Ortlinde about Zah Playa Von Chara."

I nudged the mantle flap of my traveling hood away to expose the medal I had pinned to my chest.

Her eyes widened. "T-the Duke?!"

Yep. Namedropping people works. Of course it could also backfire if you were speaking to a political enemy or revealing yourself as someone that could be used to damage your patron's reputation.

"I… I myself work with people in the palace," Olga admitted. "I am an ambassador for Mismede. I apologize for any offense, sir. I… might have time for a little chat over tea after all."

"Yay!" said Arma, her fox ears perking up again.

Ahh. That might explain why she was so suspicious. She was politically relevant.

I shook my head sadly. "No… I would not want to make you feel uncomfortable or feel under duress. That's not the kind of guy I am." Then a thought just occurred to me. "Do you know Charlotte, the court magician?"

"I have seen her, yes. She did study in Mismede. We are not real acquaintances, but we have met before."

"We may be speaking to her tomorrow too. We may meet later in more… official… capacities. There will be plenty of time to speak then."

For some reason she looked vaguely displeased at my mentioning Charlotte. Why?

Racial tension from a human studying in the beastkin kingdom? Sounds unlikely.

 _/"Flag?"/_ Monika asked.

"Inevitability," I responded. "We might not deal in politics, but politics deals with us."

Olga now far less warily accepted my business card. I dropped down to one knee and ruffled Arma's hair, who was pouting at being ignored. "And you, don't go running off on your own anymore, eh? Your sister just wants you to be safe. Be more careful of random people on the street, not everyone is a good person. Be a good girl."

Arma's fox ears flicked up and she nodded happily. "I wills!"

I chuckled, patted her head one last time and got up. Let this world keep warming the cynical lump of coal that is my heart. When I'm allowed to put a mask on my face I can shed bit by bit the armor around my essential humanity.

The two fox girls bowed again and made their excuses to leave. Arma waved happily at us all the while until we were out of view.

 _/"So what now?"/_

I pointed. "Conveniently we're in front of the thing we were looking for in the city. A magic shop."

-.

-.

The inside of the magic shop was exactly as we expected, a bright and clean well-stocked establishment that nonetheless managed to have this musty mysterious smell to it. The proprietor was a middle-aged woman who looked a bit like a librarian.

We bought a few books and arranged to deliver others to the Silver Moon Inn in Reflet. The magic shop owner told us that magic items and armor were sold in a much more exclusive shop in the eastern avenue.

 _/"Well that was interesting,"/_ said Monika. _/"Because it turns out, that's what a magic shop is. Something like a bookstore and office supplies shop. In world of functional magic, they would treat magic with the same view of ubiquitous utility as we would our computers."/_

Interesting, but not very useful. Certain ubiquitous items as in DnD were actually quite rare or sold in more specialized high-class shops. A small downtown magic shop didn't stock magic items, they actually stocked magical reagents.

Enchanted items were usually found in deep ancient ruins, or mass produced by a magic-using kingdom in the Far East. Even then however, it was said they were expensive due the success rate for enchanting an object was very low, and sometimes even risked the destruction of materials.

-.

After some time, we found the place. It was a tall brick structure with a large signboard that said BIRKUT. It felt like the insides of a high-class department store, what with its tall ceilings and a large open indoor courtyard area and white paneled walls. Oddly enough, there were no visible guards anywhere.

An attractive young lady approached and greeted me as soon as I entered.

"Welcome to Birkut's, milord. Is this your first time here?"

"Yes. This is my first time in this establishment."

"Very well, sir. Might you have something that proves your social standing or an invitation that permits you to shop here?" It really was no place for random gawkers or street customers. Only nobility and the truly wealthy were allowed to shop there.

I showed her the Ortlinde medal and handed it over for inspection. Unlike Olga, she merely bowed her head in acknowledgment, not impressed at all.

"All is in order, milord. Now, how may we help? Is there anything in particular you seek?"

"I'm looking for a very specific enchantment on a piece of armored fabric. And also light armor in general."

She bowed again and requested for me to follow her to a section of the store that stocked armor. There were things from shiny shields, to fine plate armor, to plain leather gloves that didn't seem special at all. "All of these things are enchanted, right?"

"That is correct, sir. For example, this Silver Mirror Shield has been enchanted to reflect offensive spells, while this one is a Gauntlet of Demigod Strength, which has a strength increasing enchantment placed upon it. It will increase the power of muscles through your whole body."

 _/"So just like Elze's [Boost]?"/_ Monika mused privately. _/"This sort of general body enhancement sounds like a common enough Null ability, but there are variations enough to be unique to each person. If this strength boost magic doesn't provide increased durability, it is actually inferior to what [Boost] can already do, and giving it to someone else in our team… will just bother them about strength they're not trained to handle._

 _/"My [Amplify] is already so much superior to this thing. It is useless."/_

I tapped at the gauntlet. "Rather thin. I'm assuming this isn't just enchanted steel."

"You are correct again, sir. That is fine mithril, crafted by the dwarves of Lyle and enchanted in the Felzen Magic Kingdom."

"Good. Then am I allowed to ask for customized items? I don't necessarily need to have it now, but I will pay in advance and then have it delivered to another town. I'm here in the capital on business, and will need to leave by day after tomorrow." I took out a piece of paper from inside my pack.

"We can certainly accommodate that, milord. What exactly were you looking for, sir?"

"First, what is your name?"

"I am Marine, milord." Pronounced 'Mah-ri-nee' rather than 'Ma-reen'.

"Thank you, Marine." I showed her a drawn page with schematics. "For now, find me a better helmet than the one I'm wearing right now. I need something lighter yet stronger. I will also need it to be modified with certain attachments to the front – like these."

I pointed out the distinctive trihorn crest with a pentagon-shaped centerpiece. "Inside this part of the crest, I will require a ceramic slug with copper wire wound around it. If possible I'd like the wires to be lacquered so that they don't conduct on contact with metal. The ends of the wire should go through these holes, down into the helmet, and trail a few yards. I'll handle the rest for my purposes."

 _/"… that's an electromagnet, Player. Why would you want to put something that would interfere with my wireless signals on your head? Although…. I suppose I could use the EM field to boost the signals too. But I already have magic radar and sonar, this seems redundant."/_

"Another hole must be drilled here, at the back, about a quarter of an inch wide," I finished. "It's a fairly simple job."

Marine nodded. "I understand. Is there anything more, sir?"

"Two things: first… cloth that has a certain enchantment placed on it, so that it appears to show the night sky. No matter how you move the cloth, it shows only the parallax background on an unmoving sky. Like a window cut into space."

I took out the projector cube again, cast [Darkness] over us to obscure the light, and shone an example image onto the wall.

"How fascinating! But unfortunately we do not have such a thing in stock. If you are not in any particular hurry, we will see about fulfilling your request."

"All right. How about some general-purpose armor cloth? While I don't doubt that you have a good selection of armored clothing, I require enough bolts for some uniforms."

"We do have those in stock. That is not an unusual request. Would you like to see a selection of colors or undyed cloth? Unfortunately, armor cloth will not have as strong protective qualities as those of already finished outfits. How do you feel about tightly woven mithril mail?"

"Can that be worn an under-layer to standard clothing? I need enough cloth to outfit… say, five people, who will face real combat. I don't need shite that just looks good, I require soft discreet armor for protection detail."

The shop assistant's eyes widened in some form of realization. "I see. I will have to discuss this with the others, sir. Is there anything else?"

I handed over the page. "No, that's it."

She bowed again as she accepted the order notes. "In that case, please have a look at our selection of helmets while I call for the samples. Please excuse me. I will be back shortly."

The young woman left us alone in the shop. Our attention was drawn to a white longcoat with a fur-lined collar. It looked terribly anachronistic. "Well maybe if I had decided to cosplay Soma Cruz instead of Char Aznable…" I murmured.

Monika giggled. _/"Even I know that meme. You are certainly a man. What are you but a miserable pile of secrets?!"/_

"Enough talk! Have at thee!"

"Ah! Dear customer, why?!"

I blinked and turned to see a young man in a shop uniform with arms up in surrender.

-.

In the end, it turned out that he was Florian, another shop assistant, and soon after Marine returned with the enchanted bolts of cloth and a sample of woven mithril mail for a mail shirt. The latter was a very fine metal weave, and indeed very much like what Frodo wore in the LoTR movie.

For much the same reason, unless there was some shenanigans afoot, however, without sufficient padding the mail shirt would offer almost no protection as it simply folds into the blade tip and drive into the wound.

The material had more resistance to slashing and being cut, however.

"They are enchanted with blade, heat, cold, and strike resistance. Not as much as this… say, leather jacket that is very strong against blades, flame and lightning…" Florian showed off a gaudy red jacket with gold filigree and an oriental dragon design at the back.

Monika blanched in disgust.

I shook my head. "No. A consistent theme is as important as protection."

"Might I make a suggestion?" Marine asked softly.

I nodded. "Go ahead."

"Why not a cape or a cloak? If a gambeson would be too conspicuous… you could get a thicker layer for protection and then another one close to the body."

 _/"Cloak and dagger combat is perfectly legit, Player!_

 _/And I mean this literally, not ironically. Fencing masters kept it in their repertoire from the 16th to 18th centuries until it was largely replaced by pistols. Which made things more lethal, but more equal, with less need for physical skill and training. Even Mark Twain narrowly avoided fighting a duel with a rival newspaper editor."/_

I rubbed at my chin and thought it over. "All right. Show me several cloaks, preferably ones that won't lose their enchantment if dyed or re-stitched."

After a few more hours, I ended up buying three bolts of armor cloth, six armor cloaks (colored deep purple similar to the shade on Elze and Linze's clothes). They gave me a lighter replacement helmet with anti-heat and anti-sweat/wetness enchantment. Their in-house smith managed to actually hammer to shape, modify and attach the mithril crest for a real Char Aznable helmet within the hour.

I also bought several sets of new facemasks so I could go around with my face still covered if I removed the VR headset. The eyeholes were matte on the outside but perfectly clear seen from the inside. Magic was nifty like that. The cloth would also reduce skin chafing.

New white gloves with basic cut and stab resistance, and most importantly – magic conductivity. I could actually wear magic rings or wands and still cast spells even with my hands protected. Though after practicing with spells magic amplifiers shortly proved unnecessary anyway.

I also found white boots with interesting composite material soles. Metal was sandwiched between anti-noise pads and grip layers. The shop assistants tried to get me to shell out for boots with stride enchantment to feel impact with every step and thus end up less tired in the long run, but I was already doing that all the time with Wind Magic.

Anti-poison magic items? Sure why not. Rings were the most convenient form for that.

"So, how much for everything?"

Florian and Marine looked at each other, and then Florian said to me "Since you're buying a lot, we'll make it cheap for you and sell the combined goods for only eighteen gold coins."

"Two platinum, huh? Fair enough."

I reached into my pack and brought out two platinum coins. Marine smiled at me and held out a small tray. I put the two coins onto a tray, and she went off to the counter for change while Florian began calling out for servants to pack everything.

 _/"So that's fifteen thousand dollars down the drain, in melt value, and up to ninety thousand adjusted for purchasing power. Player, is this even a reasonable investment?"/_

"It is a very small price to pay compared to going Full Vlad Tepes if Elze and Linze dies."

Monika sniffed. _/"Heh. You say that like you're joking. But between the two of us, I'm the one who has actual experience with murdering people."/_ Her smile was open and serene. _/"Don't rely on me to keep you sane when that happens, Player._

 _/"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. Thy Fates open their hands. Let thy blood and spirit embrace them. And, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be, cast thy humble slough and appear fresh._

 _/"Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act Two, Scene Five. Greatness awaits us, Player. Maybe the great and terrible. I actually do appreciate that you recognize we would simply go mad together, instead of unfairly placing me on an pedestal."_

I smiled back at her. I loved this new life of mine. But while Monika and I might be able to beat back our suicidal depression, that didn't mean we have essentially solved the reason why we have that deep-seated despair.

We ached to be good people. We wanted to be happy in the company of others, we would care for them and protect them and be good to them.

Because deep in our hearts we knew we were just terrible people capable of some truly terrible things.


	22. The Court Magician

**The Court Magician**

* * *

-.

-.

"So, did you girls buy anything?" I asked later during dinner.

They all shook their heads. "Splurging just because you have money now is the best way to become poor, you know," said Elze.

 _/"She is completely correct, Player."/_

"My needs are sufficiently met," Yae noted.

"Did you buy something, Mister Zah?" asked Linze.

I nodded. "I got you this!"

I then held up a simple gold ring with a green band running down the center. Linze blinked. And stared. Her eyes widened, she sat up straight on her seat and began to explosively blush.

Elze quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "You better have a good reason to be offering my sister a ring…" she said in a mildly threatening tone.

"Poison resistance."

"That's a pretty good reason." Elze nodded and uncrossed her arms. "Do I get one too?"

"Well of course I bought enough for all of us. It will stop most mild poisons, and while it won't save you from the more virulent toxins and poisons, it should at least slow the damage enough that it won't be insta-death."

I nudged the ring over and Linze hesitantly accepted. She also looked disappointed. I smirked a little bit and couldn't help but to say "Of course I wouldn't be so casual like this when giving you the engagement ring. I'd wait until we're alone."

"Eeep!"

\- Linze . exe has crashed. Seduction stack overflow in module shyness caused the program to stop working correctly.

\- Monika will now close the program and notify you if a dumbass needs a dope slap.

While Linze was frozen in the middle of taking the ring, I casually reached into my pocket and handed over Elze's own poison resistance ring. She gave me a perfunctory "Thank you" before sliding it onto the ring finger of her left hand.

Linze woke up abruptly and turned towards her sister. "Sis, that's not where you put that!" she complained in a small voice.

"Then why is it called the ring finger?!"

Elze's smug face showed that she understood why that was so and was just teasing her sister.

Yae, by contrast, just stared at her ring rather than put it on.

"A magical item. Interesting…" she said. "These are rare in Eashen, that they are. Even if we are closer to Felzen Magic Kingdom, they are still expensive. It is too generous a gift, Playa-dono. May I refuse?"

"I suppose," I answered. Then I said to the air, "Monika?"

 _"/I command you to take the silly thing and not to die from silly easily preventable reasons before your assigned time,"/_ said Monika. _/"Do you not prefer to die in glorious battle rather than weak treachery?"/_

"As you wish, Monika-sama." Yae bowed. She obediently put on the ring. On her left hand ring finger.

Elze snorted and laughed.

"…Yae! Not you too…!" Linze moaned. She looked up and glared at me. "If these things weren't so expensive, I would think… that you set all of this up to play a j-joke on me!"

Ahahaha.

I coughed. "Okay, more seriously. There are no obligations to this. Don't even think about trying to pay me back. Working with the Ortlinde family is demonstrably unsafe. Wear it however you want it, hide it away as a toe ring if you have to. It's just a simple magic item."

I glanced over to Elze and said "Though I certainly wouldn't mind if you wear that on your ring finger."

She nodded in return, still with completely clear eyes and a mien of fullest confidence. "Because it would cut down on random boys trying to chat us up. Who's got the time for that? No one's got any time for that!"

"… no… now… do I actually have to w-wear this here too?" Linze whimpered.

 _/"I would caution you about trying to build your harem, Player, but I would LAUGH watching you crash and burn from having more than one waifu ruining your laifu."/_

I coughed again. "I was just joking."

Elze grinned menacingly.

-.

* * *

-.

And so early the next day, we all trooped back to the Ortlinde mansion.

"Sir Playaa! Elze, Linze, Yae, and Lady Monikaaa!" Sue happily bounded over and greeted us by the door.

"Oh you even remembered all our names. Good work, remembering names to faces is important for making people like you," I said as I patted her head. Which was hugely hypocritical of me, since I was still going around with floating names on top of people's heads in augmented reality.

"Eheheh," she grinned. "Miss Charlotte's already here too. She actually arrived last night. When she heard about someone who could do something about mother's illness with a learned common magic when everyone's attempts failed – she said she couldn't risk not meeting that person!"

"Really? So she stayed overnight? Huh. That's interesting… even your father can be pushed like that by a common magician?"

"Umm. She… kinda begged. Really hard. So… I mean… please don't think too badly of Miss Charlotte. She just really really likes learning about magic. I know some people think she can be a bit… too much… because of that."

"Ominous."

 _/"I feel somewhat unsafe,"/_ said Monika.

"I keep telling you, she's not a bad person!" Sue insisted. "Please… be patient, that's all…"

We followed her into the mansion. Duke Alfred Ernes Ortlinde sat in the western parlor with its tall windows and simplistic but boldly vivid enameled teal walls, and Sue vivaciously plonked down to sit next to him on the long couch. The Duke sat in a way that announced he aimed to be just a spectator in his own house.

He mentioned that Charlotte, after having received word of our arrival, was preparing her learning materials and should be out shortly.

The maids brought out some tea and snacks. Elze, who had little interest in talking about magic, asked for permission to spar and learn with the guards. That was granted easily enough, and after having a few moments to sit and sip tea and much on a scone for energy, she went off with the chief of the house guards.

Not Maldon, because he was given leave to visit his family tell them the sad news of his brother's death.

After some more time, the inside door to the parlor opened. At first cautiously, with someone trying to peek into the room, and then suddenly and impudently. A young woman with long green hair and long white clothes strode into the room.

Her cheeks were red and she was panting for breath from running. Her bounteous bosoms heaved very noticeably. The swell of her breasts exposed from a low-cut black bodice covered by a short cropped white jacket. Even with my eyes covered, it was quite obvious from my head movement that my attention flicked down, and then back up. Her white skirt was long, and reached down to her ankles.

Our eyes met. Or rather, her lime green eyes and my lack of discernible vision.

"Is it YOUUU?!" she huffed and pointed accusingly at me.

-.

.-

I held my hands up as if in surrender.

Beside me, Yae shifted to a defensive crouch. Linze held her hands up, index and forefingers out, in a warding gesture. While magic stones were necessary for most spells, the fact that they were essentially magic AMPLIFIERS meant that it was possible to cast some simple spells without a wand. Or certain personal Null abilities completely without.

Rather than the number of techniques known, I feared more the person that honed the basics to the most effortless perfection. A court magician was a dangerous existence.

"Miss Charlotte!" the Duke said, not quite chiding.

"Hi, Miss Charlotte!" Sue greeted brightly.

The court magician blinked. And then her blush deepened from just exertion into pure embarrassment. She lowered her arm and bowed. "Excuse me," she said softly, and then swiftly pulled back and closed the door again.

Wait.

Wasn't the whole point of this to meet each other?

From beyond the door we could dimly hear a feminine scream. And "Stupid! Stupid! You know the whole reason for this thing was to make a good first impression!" in a squelched voice. Then several wooden thumps.

And then, a few more moments later, the door opened again.

We made the usual rounds of introductions.

"Please pardon my rudeness," Charlotte said with a thin smile. She was still blushing and looking away. "Duke Ortlinde, Lady Sushie, thank you for your time." She looked up now and addressed us "May I know if you are indeed the persons that were said to have a unique understanding of Light elemental Healing magic?"

I could hear my heart going doki doki. Monika stared suspiciously at me.

"I admit to nothing," I replied.

"Oh..." Charlotte looked crestfallen.

"Except to having a mediocre idea of medicine and anatomy, magic is quite frankly incidental to it. Magic is AMAZING, it can do so many things without having to open the body up to surgery. But if you're just throwing magic at the problem, should you really expect magic itself to know more about what you want to happen than you do? I don't really know much about magic, but the thought that it has an intelligence of its own is really scary to me."

Then her face brightened up again. And here I thought Sue had a million-watt smile, but Charlotte's enthusiasm and intellectual lusts just poured out of her grin. "Yes! Exactly! Magic without knowledge is just wasted energy! The more things you know that is NOT magic, the more that you can accomplish WITH magic!"

I grinned back and leaned forward, placing my elbows over my knees. "But I don't believe that magic can violate the fundamental laws of the universe. These laws have to be the same EVERYWHERE or else life cannot exist. But perhaps magic provides the easiest way of getting there and proving them."

Charlotte sat down and copied me in a sitting position most unlady-like. "But by that do you think the fundamental laws of magic are different from the fundamental laws of universe? That is a very… radical… thought, because there are those that say magic is the foundation of life. That magic is the last lingering touch of the gods on the world, the way to alter creation given to mortals."

"Really? But what does a fish need of magic? What does a dragon have to care about being moral to more mortal creatures?"

Charlotte nodded again. "That is so! Magic is a force separate from morality. It is us who decide what is moral or not about magic. Large monsters are powerful because of magic infused deep into their bodies, and they are not made superior to anything because of it. If they are a danger to others, then they are hunted down, and in fact their magic-infused hides and body parts become components for magic tools.

It is HOW we use magic for the betterment of all that transforms magic from just a tool for personal power and into a real force for good. Magic is something dangerous, but it can be made safer by knowing MORE about it, instead of hiding it away only for the use of the few and the powerful."

Then she opened her right palm out to me. "So, if I may ask, did you modify the [Cure Heal] spell in any way? Is it something that can be taught to others?"

"It's just the regular old [Cure Heal]. Just how important is visualization in magic? What happens if you try to make a spell do something more than what it's supposed to do?"

"A failed spell only fails to activate, costing you the mental energy… the internal magic energy, that would also have gone to a successful spell. Even more than that, usually. If it worked where other attempts at using [Cure Heal] failed to affect honored Lady Ortlinde in any way, then it can only be from a more successful way of visualizing what will happen. I would really like to know HOW you did it!"

"It failed, you know? [Cure Heal] is not the spell we needed."

"But it did something! This proves it! The ancients had the best spells because they had a greater understanding of the world. These lost magics we barely comprehend… they work only so well from our limited understanding. It's visualization!"

She beamed, and began to gesticulate wildly. "I would really love to know more about that! How did you learn about the inner workings of the human brain? How do you visualize what is inside the skull? Where in the brain are the memories located?! No one made a record of the lecture you gave about what portions of the brain are responsible for what senses, please let me write that down!

"If we could target [Cure Heal] much more precisely, that would improve the usefulness of the spell for everybody! What can you tell me about that?!"

"Would you like me to teach you all I know about anatomy?"

She bobbed her head up and down excitedly. "Yes please!"

Hurgh. Mah heart.

Her bright and bubbly enthusiasm, her voluptuous, tall and statuesque appearance…

This woman was gap-moeing her way past all my defenses. I couldn't deal with her at all!

Linze jabbed me in the side with a fingertip and I bent over because I was ticklish as hell. "Yowtch! What was that for?"

"… Mister Zah, please control yourself."

"Heh. But I'm serious." There was only really half innuendo in there.

I took a deep breath, calmed myself, and continued, "The greatest mystery is not outer space, but inner space. Here." I tapped at my VR case. "The darkness behind everyone's eyes. It is your memories that makes you. Every nerve, every sense, every mood, every bit of love or hate… it doesn't come from here," I pointed at my heart, "But here. We are patterns of thought wearing meat."

Linze still gave me an affronted look, like I had said something blasphemous, or at least unromantic. The Duke and Sue just had looks of tranquil trust. Yae looked unaffected, for if the power of the spirit was not manifest, then how does the shadow sword influences the senses and the mind without anything physical to it?

Charlotte had a studious expression that was almost... sultry.

Monika interrupted _/"The biomachine philosophy introduces a whole set of ethical issues too, Player, as much as you might wish it is the first step to transhumanism."/_

"Ah. Right. Like for example, the Hitler brain dilemma?" I mused. "What if someone lobotomized Hitler after being captured, destroying his memories and effectively making him someone new. Should he still be held responsible for something he doesn't remember, something that was effectively done by a different person in the same body?"

 _/"You're resorting to Godwin so quickly, but all right. Humans societies are programmed by symbols. Memes. Fairness itself is one such meme. It could go either way, but a living brain-damaged Hitler would always be enduring unfair hostility and becomes a living symbol… if his memories could be said to come back, then he would still be incentivized to hide it and pretend to be an invalid. Do you believe in a reform-based punishment system, Player?"/_

"Actually, yes. But here there's nothing to reform. So it would still be politically most prudent to see him hang and conclusively end the Second World War. The many also need to be able to finally move on."

 _/"That is so grossly utilitarian, you could justify so many evil acts for the sake of helping the most people. You would technically be destroying an innocent to palliate the feelings of the many. Omelas calls."/_

(ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ﹕/ᵉᶰ⋅ʷᶦᵏᶦᵖᵉᵈᶦᵃ⋅ᵒʳᵍ/ʷᶦᵏᶦ/ᵀʰᵉ_ᴼᶰᵉˢ_ᵂʰᵒ_ᵂᵃᶫᵏ_ᴬʷᵃʸ_ᶠʳᵒᵐ_ᴼᵐᵉᶫᵃˢ)

"Maybe. But for this particular question, brain damage is the start of karma, not a convenient way out. A villain can become a savior can become a villain again and literally split into two good and evil halves and find redemption the end, as witness the Case of Darth Revan. It's all in the mind. An Adolf Hitler is not particularly useful to the war effort and the reconstruction."

 _/"Then what about Casval Reim Deikum, Quattro Bajeena, and Char Aznable? All of them the same person."/_

"What about him? He was a deeply flawed person. Different names don't make a person. No one messed with his memories, all his mistakes was his own to bear. A person changes through the years of their lives too."

 _/"Then what about Zah Playa Von Chara?"/_

"He too will have to carry that weight." I said with wan smile. "He remembers what was before, and just refuses to allow that to influence the now. Our minds might hold us, but it is our actions that define us. Also, he will stop referring to himself in the third person now."

"Aaaahhh!"

We turned at Charlotte's scream. She was pointing again and leaning so far off her chair she looked almost ready to lunge at me. "That… that sound. That voice! So… is it true?! Have you really contracted with a spirit?!"

"… contract is… not how I would put it. Prenuptial agreement?"

Monika scoffed. _/"You certainly won't find a paralegal for a paranormal relationship."/_

Charlotte was giving out a happy little squeal. "Can you… can you hear me? Please, may I… may I speak to you, oh honored spirit?! There are so many things I wish to know… please, I beg you!"

"Let me handle things from here on, Player. I have questions too."

-.

.-

"… I have a question!" Linze said suddenly.

We all turned to her. She blushed and fidgeted. After a few moments to gather her courage again, she asked "Practice and casting the same spell over and over. Is that really the only way to improve one's magic reserves? There's no other way?"

Charlotte nodded. "There is no other way. The strength of your main affinity affects intensity, so it requires less effort to reach the same effect. It means that it requires much less time to improve your control over how much you can release in spells. But secondary affinities can certainly still be made easier to cast."

I thought:

Get a larger Magic Stone? No, wait, while that would ease the problem it doesn't actually address the underlying issue.

"And if not, they could at least be made faster to cast," Charlotte continued, returning to the well metaphor. She formed a circle shape with her fingers. "It may improve recovery time from spell fatigue. Some have reported being able to cast at least one more before feeling drained. Widening the well also increases the amount of water in it, maybe?"

 _/"Despite how it may look, magic doesn't really come that easily to us,"/_ Monika offered. _/"I don't need to sleep at all, and so can spend all that time while everyone else is sleeping with only my thoughts and my spells. And Player… well, you ever wonder why he doesn't sweat going around with so many layers of clothes? He's constantly practicing with small results from the many magic stones he has embedded into parts of his clothes./_

 _/"Even his steps barely touch the ground anymore, which eases a lot of the effort from walking. But really I think that's just lazy and will give him fat beer belly. If the rest of him becomes fat and jolly I would actually be fine with that, but a big gut alone is unbecoming."/_ She glanced at me. _/"I know you like to ham it up, Player, but don't go Full Shatner."/_

"I see…" Linze replied. She stared intently at the court magician's serene smile. "I have… I have to work hard to catch up. Thank you for answering."

Charlotte nodded. "It is all right. Those who work hard will surely see improvement. That is the fairness of magic." She turned to us again and asked "Now, may I ask?"

 _/"Please do."/_

"First of all, while I am very interested in the hidden inner workings of the human brain, it was also intriguing to hear about how you healed Mister Reim. Where did you learn the spells for that?"

I pointed to Linze. She eeped and quickly shook her head. "N-no, it wasn't me! I didn't do anything!"

"It was a team effort," I had to say. "It was surgery. I think I already said that the [Cure Heal] was standard?"

"I think she's talking about [Blood Maker], [Blood Bend], and [Resuscitation], Mister Zah! I certainly never taught you that."

Ah. Well. I wondered about the wisdom of telling people I could invent spells. It could be a lot of hassle down the line if people would bug me for custom spells.

I held out my hand with my fingers out, the left shaped like an 'L' for "Lie?" and the other like an 'O' for "Honesty?" towards Monika.

She looked back at me quizzically, and then after a while made gestures back with the fingers on one hand showing a 'V' and the other with three fingers out showing a Roman 'E'.

Ahahaha…

Charlotte smiled. "Yes, what is most interesting about them is that TWO OF THEM are not Light element spells! Please explain how they work!"

Monika blinked, and her expression turned to one of horror. _/"That's… that's right! [Blood Maker] is a Light Spell, but Water and Wind don't have the protections against overload that Light Spells have! Were you taking an unreasonable risk with untested spells? Explain yourself, Player."/_

"… Not completely untested..." I objected weakly. Self-experimentation counts, right?

 _/"You fool…! You… you double mon-keigh!"/_ Monika groaned out. _/"How did you even hide that from me? Of course… the fact that you needed to do that means that you knew you were doing something wrong."/_

She turned to Charlotte and asked, _/"That's a thing that can happen, right? Imagine casting Water directly onto someone's veins. They would just… explode!"/_

Sue eeped at Monika's shout. The butler, standing behind the Duke and Daughter Ortlinde, flinched even though he had already lived through that.

"It's not that bad. I mean, actually because Healing Spells are so general purpose is why they're bad at specific results." I touched two fingers of my hand over my wrist. "What [Blood Maker] actually does is to stimulate the bone marrow production.

"But because blood has four main components – plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets - [Blood Maker] is not producing blood from nowhere, which is why it gets around the restrictions of other spells. It has to be cast in conjunction with a Water spell because part of what [Blood Maker] does is to replace water lost from blood loss while the marrow goes overtime producing cells."

 _/"But overload would still be dangerous, isn't that right? Bone marrow failure is just as deadly. And Blood Bend could burst vessels if improperly applied."/_

"But unlike Light spells where you just throw magic power in there hoping something will happen, you can at least feel and regulate the flow of magic. Because it's Water, you can feel movement. You don't get that feedback with Light. So, [Blood Bend] is important to keep the blood moving, to increase blood pressure, and so prevent the advent of shock."

 _/"Then what about [Resuscitation]?"/_

"That's even safer. Yes, there's bone and skin and muscle tissue in the way… but because of the oddities of basic [Wind] spells, the produced air will appear in the nearest empty space out from the pointing fingers. It's really just basic elemental Wind at minimal output. I'm actually surprised no one has tried it before."

"Pardon me, but… may I say something?" Charlotte inserted herself into our little exchange.

 _/"Oh, sorry. This is supposed to be your interview. Please, go ahead."/_

"There actually is a spell like that. But it is called [Inner Breath]."

I raised both arms. "Yay."

 _/"So you already knew that it was possible to have healing spells that are not in the Light element?"/_ Monika figured out that it was a test. _/"Is it possible to overcharge that?"/_

Charlotte nodded. It wasn't a test of our knowledge, she just wanted to hear our thoughts about her field of study. "Inner Breath is applied with the palms, not fingers. And the results of spell failure is still just wasted energy. This is because the effects of the spell are defined in the chant… 'Come Forth, Wind! Living air, [Inner Breath]'!"

Charlotte opened her palm out and a slight breeze issued forth. "It is a spell that works best when cast without a magic stone, because it will have a lessened effect… but also much more fatiguing because of that."

Then she laced her fingers together and asked "Could you please share the full version of the spell?"

Monika leaned towards me and made a whispering pose covering her mouth, and spoke through my earphones, _/"Player, I think you might actually be allowed to ask for a fair price for this. Spellmaking might be lucrative venture?"/_

"Yeees, that is what I was worried about. We haven't actually tested if it's safe for anyone but me to use. How much of it is actually visualization and how much is the incantation?"

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but to overhear what you just said, and I would be happy to help test the spell!" said Charlotte.

 _/"Two people are needed, one to cast the spell and the other to face mortal peril!"/_ Monika answered.

Charlotte touched a finger to her lips and then smiled. "I choose to take the life of danger~."

Dang it. Which meant that since we needed someone who could cast Light, and since Sue was disqualified as an utter novice, that just left…

All of us slowly turned our heads like turrets to stare at Linze again.

"No!" she yelped.

-.

-.

Now we all sat much closer together. Linze and Charlotte sat facing each other on the sofa. Charlotte had her jacket sleeves rolled back and Linze traced with her fingers the blue lines of her veins. Linze did have Water affinity, so she could perform [Blood Bend].

"Remember, just utmost minimum of energy," I instructed while sitting on the table facing them. Monika was on the floor, projecting up and looking like she was leaning over to take a look. "Too sudden increase in blood pressure can lead to anything from shortness of breath, nausea, varicose veins, mini strokes, blindness, or heart attacks."

"Mister Zaaah…!" Linze wailed.

 _/"Stop scaring her Player. The worst I think may happen are some unflattering varicose veins. Those happen as a result of damaged valves causing blood to flow back into the vein, causing pooling and swelling. (ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ʷʷʷ.ᵐᵃʸᵒᶜˡᶦⁿᶦᶜ.ᵒʳᵍ/ᵈᶦˢᵉᵃˢᵉˢ⁻ᶜᵒⁿᵈᶦᵗᶦᵒⁿˢ/ᵛᵃʳᶦᶜᵒˢᵉ⁻ᵛᵉᶦⁿˢ/ˢʸᵐᵖᵗᵒᵐˢ⁻ᶜᵃᵘˢᵉˢ/ˢʸᶜ⁻²⁰³⁵⁰⁶⁴³)_

 _/Also called incompetent valves instead of healthy valves. Yes, it's those big bulging veins that happen in the leg due to age and too much standing or walking. Yes, they are quite ugly."/_

Uh, why are you emphasizing that part, Monika? Also, couldn't that be fixed with [Cure Heal] as recent damage anyway?

"So… it's not dangerous?" Linze asked.

I nodded slowly. "Just try to feel something happening. I designed this to have feedback to your own blood in your fingertips. The greater the pressure in the vein, the greater the pressure you feel in your own fingers."

Charlotte looked up sharply. "Wait, what was that-"

"W-water, come! Attend life's flows! [Blood Bend!]" Linze chanted.

Linze traced the court magician's shapely arm from wrist to elbow. Charlotte's fingers twitched, as if tickled.

"I felt something, but it was not really very different from being touched. Did you…?"

"No, my fingertips were away from your skin at all times!" Linze answered.

Charlotte experimentally twitched her fingers some more. Was it going numb or was she just imagining things?

"You know, it occurs to me that this experiment would be much more usable with blood in a tube," I said far too late. The girls all groaned at me. What, Monika thought you needed two people too! I shouldn't have to take all of the blame!

Then, [Blood Maker].

Linze put her fingers on the meaty part of Charlotte's forearm. Then she began to chant "Light, come forth! Life's brilliant rubies! [Blood Maker!]"

A bright flash of light appeared from under her fingertips.

Then she slumped down onto Charlotte's breasts. She began to drool. Linze was suddenly and completely knocked out.

Shite. There was something wrong with the spell!

-.

.-


	23. The Distance between Two Hearts

**This is Fine. I am Fine with This.**

* * *

-.

No! Nononononono…!

I rushed over to pull Linze away and reached to feel the pulse by her neck. "Monika!" I screamed out.

 _/"[Diagnosis!]"/_ she responded instantly. _/"Pulse… elevated, but normal. Temperature, normal. No detected aneurysms. Breathing… normal. I need actual blood contact to inspect biochemistry, Player."/_

Linze was breathing, but her face was just so… slack. It was the sleep of the flat-out drunk or the brain-dead.

Then Charlotte said "There is no need to be afraid. This is just magic exhaustion. She will come out of it soon enough."

 _/"Player, you're this close to a panic attack. Stop it."/_

I forced air out my lungs and pulled away from Linze.

[Cure Heal] didn't do anything for magic exhaustion. There was a Light spell called [Revive] that worked for people knocked unconscious, however. But Charlotte said that we shouldn't try to forcibly revive people downed with magical exhaustion. It would only cause them more pain.

The feeling of magical exhaustion was exactly like that of a hangover.

Why? Why didn't we even think that the danger could also be for the caster, not just the recipient? Thank god this magic system seemed to have its own strange magic fuse for casting.

Really weird, that. But thank you for that.

 _/"Player, what happened?"/_

"I don't know. The spell shouldn't have this effect. It should barely even use any magic power, because it just amplifies natural principles!"

 _/"Since when was there a Rule that said magic power is proportional to how much natural law is circumvented?"/_ Monika answered. _/"That… that just sounds like more visualization problem in the end."/_

We had already explained with diagrams how blood vessels and bones worked. Surprisingly this world did actually have a decent idea of germ theory, likely because someone at some point had a [Null] magic ability that magnified their vision. Charlotte told us that in earlier times, those who possessed [Smallsight] thought they were seeing giant invisible beasts living inside rivers and lakes and were called to check for water demons.

But the soft tissue inside bones being responsible for making blood? That was new. That's why bones were hollow… and not just hollow, but porous! All bones! Charlotte said that the prevailing thought was to save weight, but this explanation not only fulfilled that reason but also gave another compelling reason why it was that way in the first place for all creatures. Marrow was for blood, not soft replacement bone as everyone had assumed.

Linze looked like she understood all of this because she had less old knowledge to unlearn. Visualization should NOT be a problem.

I began to bite my thumb.

"It can't be visualization. It can't. And it can't be affinity either, because Affinity influences Intensity and this one looks for only minimal effects. [Blood Maker] can't make more cells than available from nutrients in blood plasma."

 _/"With your infinite pool of magic, how would you even realize that?!"/_ Monika retorted hotly. She reached over to protectively hug Linze, but her hands of course just vanished as soon as she left the 3D scanning area of the mist.

"I can't even reduce Aqua Cutter to normal size because of my uncontrollable magic intensity. This is one of the few things that actually gives me any granularity of output!"

Although it suddenly just occurred to me, just like with [Thrust Bell] and [Jet Boots] it's my custom spells that were easiest to modify. Learned spells seemed to have just one setting.

"Pardon me, but you are saying things that are just too stimulating," Charlotte interrupted. "P-please… tell me more about that!"

 _/"How nice for you, that you can use five magic affinities!"/_ Monika said out loud while sulking. _/"Player here can use all six external elements, including Dark. And his spell depth is just ridiculous. Spell fatigue? What spell fatigue?!"/_

She threw me under the bus with no hesitation whatsoever.

"Oh! Ohh…! This has potential for my research…" Charlotte gasped.

Shamelessly I pointed at Monika. "She can use Null Spells! ALL the Null Spells!" And so I dragged her down with me. "She draws from ambient magic, she literally cannot get tired maintaining spells!"

"… that is very interesting too. And you're both always together anyway, is that correct?"

Wait. Crap. Now we're both under and too late we realized this was no bus, this was a freight train. I suddenly felt tremendously unsafe.

"… y-you're just bragging now…" Linze mumbled. "C-could you please stop? You're so loud… my head hurts…"

 _/"Linze! Oh thank goodness."/_

She slowly opened her eyes and grimaced. "Um… what happened?"

 _/"You fainted. You used up too much magic power."/_

"Oh..." Linze mumbled. "I was too weak. I'm sorry!"

 _/"No, that's not your fault. Something was wrong with our spell,"/_ Monika answered. _/"We're really sorry for this. Player, give her fluids. It may help, if the pain is similar to why hangovers hurt."/_

I quickly filled an empty cup with water and handed it over to Linze. She sipped delicately from it, and curled into herself as Monika and I loomed protectively over her.

"Linze, how are you feeling?"

"… better, I think?"

 _/"How about your [Supercharge] your magic power a bit from Player's reserves. That might help."/_

Yes, Linze had been able to repeatedly cast absurdly power-hungry spells before. Stuff that should have also knocked her out immediately.

Linze nodded and whispered "Supercharge please…" and gasped as her the feeling of her magical reserves refilled almost instantly. "We... we can try again. I don't mind."

 _/"No! No, not until we figure out what's wrong. It's not worth you getting hurt again."/_

"I agree!" I said and reached over to pat Linze's knee.

She just looked even more discouraged for some reason.

Then I leaned back and began to think it over. "Hm. Well. Spells are composed of three parts. So… [Come forth, Light] [Life's brilliant rubies] [Blood Maker]. One or all of these are responsible for the spell failing."

"I don't think it actually failed, Mister Zah. The feeling I had was different from spell failure… if it failed, I would have stayed awake to know."

"So it did succeed but took an absurd amount of magic power for… reasons. Ugh."

"Pardon me, but how DO you think spells are supposed to work?" Charlotte asked.

Monika gestured for me to explain, and so I said "Well… you know the elements – [Fire], [Earth], [Wind], [Water], [Light] and [Dark] – when you cast them, something comes from somewhere. It is my theory that these physical elements have to deal with the transmission of matter."

I opened my palm out and a gust of wind flew up. "Where does it come from? Where does it go? Our own experiments showed that summoned [Earth] and [Water] disappear after a while… except when the water is ingested. Summons from the [Dark] element disappear when their caster dies. But what about [Light]? What is teleported when the element is about healing and purification?

Everything else makes sense from the perspective of teleportation and reassembly of atoms, particles, and complex molecules."

 _/"Meanwhile, my [Null] spells seems to be about a change in vectors and energy states. For example, [Slip]-"/_ Monika flicked her arm out and cast [Slip] onto a vase.

Although the table was flat, it was not perfectly flat, and so due to that barely perceptible tilt the vase slid off the perfectly frictionless surface to fall to the floor.

Crash.

"Please stop breaking my things," said the Duke. "I know I said to feel at home, but even so…"

Oops.

Sue giggled.

-.

-.

 _/"I… was actually expecting Player to catch that."/_ Her image floated back and Monika crossed her arms. _/"But… you look distracted. Player, you look like you have an idea."/_

Charlotte stared oddly at me. "Why would you even think that teleportation is the root cause of elemental magic?"

"Because I am an empericist- a person who supports the theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses," I answered. "So far it is my experience that the magic I cast comes out in motion. There is pressure. If magic is completely arbitrary, then that makes it easier for me to visualize what is happening. If it isn't, then okay I'm wrong."

Otherwise the ability to make any spell we wanted would make us Gods. Or living inside a simulation. For obvious reasons, both were disturbing conclusions.

 _/"There's a hole in the [Elemental] vs [Null] theory in that [Aports], which is a teleportation spell, is a [Null] Spell too. [Recovery] is a healing spell superior to anything under [Light]. Should we really be defining spells by effect rather than causes?"/_ Monika said idly.

I responded "Or we could ask the actual court magician how magic actually works."

 _/"That seems a fair trade. Biology and physics for metaphysics."/_

And so Charlotte explained that the way we focused on the three parts of the spell was actually a very Formalist philosophy of working magic. The long standing view of magic is that it has four causes – the * **Element** *, the * **Form** *, the * **Means** *, and the * **Result** *.

It was very much like Aristotle's * **Four Causes** *. Matter, the material composes the thing being changed. Form, the arrangement of changes. Agent, the method by which an object is changed. And Purpose, the end result for which a thing existed.

"Interesting… so I'm thinking… what if I shouldn't have put it under [Light] after all? Maybe it should have been under [Earth]."

"Earth?!" Charlotte gasped. "Why Earth?"

"Because… why not? Everything comes from Earth. Plants grow using minerals in the soil. We get those minerals as nutrients from vegetables, fruits, and meats. And then in our body nutrients combine into our cells and organs."

 _/"Ah. I see where you're going with this. It might synergize more with the chant 'Life's brilliant rubies'. But why not change that part of the chant instead? Define it much more strictly, maybe that will help."/_

"Why? Why not…? Ahaha…" Charlotte began to giggle lightly. "The way you approach this is from the perspective of a researcher but at the same time… not like how a magician should. I have more questions." She was staring at Monika.

 _/"Um. All right?"/_

"Why is blood red?"

 _/"The red blood cells bind iron molecules, and these bind oxygen absorbed from the lungs."/_

"What is oxygen?"

 _/"It is the element in the air that allows things to burn. Fire is usually a combination of something that will burn, free oxygen to react with the burning, and heat to initiate the burn."/_

"Fire magic cheats at that, but even I have seen that magic Fire will not burn in total vacuum," I added.

"Why is oxygen important for living? What happens to the oxygen when it is consumed?"

 _/"Oxygen is transformed in the cells with glucose floating in blood plasma as fuel for the cell's processes, turning into carbon dioxide absorbed back into blood plasma and released out into the lungs from unoxygenated blood pumped nearby, and out with exhalation."/_

"What is carbon dioxide?"

/"It is a combination of one part carbon and two parts oxygen. Carbon is another common element – found in raw form as coal and soot and diamonds. Most living things are actually made mostly of carbon and water. Trees, for example."/

"How many elements are there?" Charlotte quickly asked next.

/"Ninety-one, naturally occurring. Up to one hundred and eighteen synthesized or from the decay of other elements,"/ Monika replied just as gunshot-quick.

Charlotte grit her teeth let out a little hiss of pleasure. It looked like she was just hoping for any other answer than the usual seven elements of magic that she would get from traditionalists. Monika picked up on the difference because saying the magical seven would be just too obvious. And from Zanac, I already knew that they actually had some chemistry going on.

Then heedless Charlotte continued, "[Blood Maker] has three syllables. What do those look like?"

Monika threw out the phonetic equivalents in the local language. The local alphabet actually looked faintly Greek. I was reminded that Elze and Linze wore the symbols similar to that of Pluto and Neptune on their neckties.

"The spell [Cure Heal] has two words, what do each of those words mean?"

Monika frowned slightly at the simplicity of the new questions. _/"[Cure], of course, means to remedy ailments. [Heal] means to recover from illness or damage."/_

"Yeah, it's a Verb Verb. It's like someone decided to just jam two healing spells together for a general cure-all," I reckoned. And on that I reckoned Cure All would have made more sense as a Verb-Adjective. "I mean, it clearly works, which is the reason why I thought spell customization was possible at all."

Charlote sucked in her breath and let out a little groan of pleasure. Uh. Okayyy.

She said next "Forever you chase after light, and forever it remains just beyond your grasp. Why?"

 _/"Hey. Is this is in another language?"/_ Monika noticed. _/"Player, you answer this."/_

It sounded the same to me. A riddle? Maybe because light is massless, it would be like trying to trap a shadow? No.

"Because the faster you run, the heavier your steps," I answered.

 _/"Oh. You said that in the same language. I see that auto-translation for you works for all spoken languages."/_

Charlotte paused, breathing heavily, and stared at us.

"I think I have figured out why you CAN invent spells at all," she said after a while. She steepled her fingers together and asked "What do you want for this information?"

I crossed my arms and leaned back. "Hmm. There's a variety of knowledge and processes we can share… machines and such, things we can be sure will work instead of the vagaries of magic medicine."

 _/"Player… no. She said, 'what do we WANT' for the information. Isn't it usually the other way around?"_

I blinked and sat up quickly. "That's right. We're the ones who don't have that information, so we should be the ones trading for it. Unless… you knowing that information is something that is disadvantageous to us!"

Charlotte lunged at me, her fingers out and open like claws.

 _/"Don't!"/_ Monika yelled just in time before Yae could karate-chop Charlotte's head off.

Charlotte grabbed at my shirt and pressed her body onto me and we both almost toppled over.

"Tell me the truth!" Charlotte hissed at my face, our lips almost at touching range. "Are you time travelers?! Were you left asleep and woken up from the collapse of the Ancient Civilizaaationnn?!"

What.

-.

"Oh!" Linze gasped, and slapped her fist down into her waiting palm. "That would actually explain everything!"

"What? Linze, no!" I screamed out desperately.

Monika just floated there, palming her face. _/"Why would you even think that?"/_ she asked Charlotte. _/"Shouldn't there be [Null] abilities that deal with translation?"/_

"Words alone don't give understanding. There are, but there are two forms of the Ancient Language. One can be translated with [Translation], and another script that can't. It is Protected somehow.

"We found [Cure Heal] in among ancient scrolls of the first type. And we knew that it was actually a translation of a previous work, and that it was an attempt to duplicate two separate [Null] abilities into one usable spell."

I blinked. "Holy shite, really?"

Charlotte beamed. She really relished how much we were also genuinely interested in these things. Not like Linze or most other users who simply wanted to know the spells and how to improve their ability to cast spells. She was a researcher and archeologist, we were engineers.

 _/"… but how does that even imply that we're sleepers from this ancient civilization of yours?"/_

"But why nooottt?!" Charlotte whined. "It would make things so much easier if the reason you could invent spells is that you learned the ancient language as a first language! The things you know are all the things we lost! I even only know that there are over a hundred material elements from the old writings that we could translate."

 _/"These aren't things that require magic to find out, you know?"/_

"And that begs the question, then how do you do that? You both have indefinitely deep magic reserves, ability to cast all spells, a spirit that can cast any personal magic. But more than that, you have strange magic tools that no one has seen before!"

Charlotte pointed down at the projector cube then the headset I was always going on about how it allowed me to see despite having my eyes covered. "For example, are you in that box, Lady Monika?"

 _/"Um. No? Of course not?"/_

"Obviously not. She's right here." I pointed to my cheekbones, implying that she was sealed into my eyes. Like Rezo the Red Priest and Shabranigdo. It was much safer if everyone believed that Monika was not something that could be stolen. And it neatly explained why my eyes could not be cured by any simple [Heal] spell.

"See? Remote visual communication! Who has that? That is far too convenient a coincidence. I don't believe that all!"

Monika winced. _/"If I didn't know any better that would actually be quite convincing, Player."/_

"But we are still not five-thousand-year old people popsicles, sorry."

Charlotte sagged, her long green hair draping onto my chest. "I was hoping for that… but that would have been too much. It would be much too convenient."

 _/"Why do you want to know so much about the Ancients anyway?"/_

"It was the Ancients that Formalized Magic! They were the first to use magic stones, the first to study spells, the first to enchant spells onto objects, they made great works even now impossible to duplicate and spread out all over the world! And then suddenly, their entire civilization just collapsed and all knowledge about them vanished from the world.

"Honestly, I do not actually think that you are Ancients… that was just the best possible thing. But if you could create new spells as much as you wanted, that's because you are able to Formalize magic using the same method the Ancients did. When you understand [Spell Names], you understand how to finalize the form."

"Excuse me. Wait. Are you telling me that when we've been saying these [Spell Names], we haven't been actually speaking in [freaking English]?!"

 _/"Well of course not, Player. Why would YOU even think that?"/_

"… because I've been doing that. And I'm kinda dumb, apparently." I frowned. "So there IS actually something wrong with calling it the [Blood Maker]."

"No, no there isn't," Charlotte answered. "The spell succeeded."

"But then why did it…? Ah."

Because when I was saying [Blood Maker], it was in English and everyone else was just hearing it as something else. And Linze said [Blood Maker] in her native language.

Casting my own personal spell didn't just mean casting the admittedly simple effect I was asking, it also had to cast my emulator. Monika and I were x64 processors in a world optimized to run ARM apps.

Linze knocked herself out because casting the spell instantly drained all her magic power from actually visualizing what happens behind spells instead of just willing things to happen. My spells were so horribly optimized, they should barely even run except that I had literally obscene levels of magic power to throw at the problem. The benefit to me was that it scaled up much much greater than regular spells. Other people had to stack spells to get greater intensity, I could ramp it up as high or as low as I wanted because I was using magic itself to block magic.

All this time I visualized The World as a separate entity, the thing that enables magic. I wanted as little to do with the world and automatic magic as much as possible. It wasn't about denying the impossible, but I wanted freedom to do as I wanted instead of having to search for prebuilt spells in order to do anything. And so the world obliged, because dammit this magic system of theirs was so nice like that.

I was so dumb. Arrogant and dumb. I groaned and explained as such.

Imagine Harry Potter magic and its faux Latin used for casting. (Wingardium Leviosa), etc.

But I was hearing and saying it as [Highwing Raiser] while everyone else was hearing it in their Faux Latin. Or [Summon] for (Accio), or [Banish Weapon] for (Expelliarmus). Everything sounds much chuunier as heck if you're using the root words.

No one would expect [Highwing Banisher] (Wingardium ExpelliarDus) to work at all instead of the general blasting curse (Confringo). I was going around being all MAXIMUM CHUUNI not knowing shit about anything. If I could video myself I'd probably cringe at the delusional boy.

 _/"That little change makes all the difference?"/_ Monika mused. _/"Arbitrary magic surely is arbitrary. Because you had constrained magic to what you believed was possible, it meant your spells became their own self-contained rulesets. That's a unique form of self-sabotage, at least."/_

Monika shrugged. _/"I'm much the same way, player. I could deal with the idea that magic was basically just imposing my will on the universe. But we can't deal with the idea that there can't be any limits to it. It is just too unfair. Why should we be rewarded like this after everything we had done?"/_

"I object on the grounds that you can't cheese as effectively if you don't know the rules you can abuse. If there aren't any rules then you can't cheese at all! And that's just unsatisfying."

 _/"Hahaha. Of course you would."/_

With chakra, or with MP, or even with any goddamn MMORPG level-based magic, at least it would be understandable. It makes sense that not everyone can be a scientist or an athlete or an artist. But I had no idea why anyone in this world would ever just let the chance to wrap reality to their whims pass them by just from sheer lack of motivation to exert themselves!

"But there ARE rules to magic," Charlotte demurred. "From what I understand of what you just said, it is not so much you can break them, or that you have no limits, but you create even stricter limits on yourself. There really are many rules to magic… but these are rules other people have laid down and you don't have to follow them.

"This has immense implications for uncovering how spells were originally created, how the Ancients were able to enchant objects with what should be unique personal Null abilities, and for finding the limit of current spells."

"I suppose we could help with that. If we have the time. We're still adventurers first and foremost."

 _/"I want in return a Teleportation Spell or seeing a Teleport ability in action,"/_ Monika put in suddenly. _/"Since apparently teleportation has little do with elemental spells, just watching Player does nothing for me."/_

"But then when I say (Come forth, Water, [SEA WATER]…!) it's violating the whole premise if it's just spontaneously generated salt water instead of coming from an ocean somewhere...!" I whined.

Charlotte giggled. "I'd be very grateful for any assistance you would care to provide."

-.

After some time, Linze said "Um… if that's done, could you please get off him now?"

Charlotte and I looked towards her, then back at each other. We were sitting basically crotch to crotch.

"I am fine with this," I had to admit.

 _/"Player!"/_ Monika shouted, pointing reproachfully at me.

Ahahaha…

-.

 _/"Player, may I speak with you in private, please?"/_ Monika asked after we had disentangled ourselves.

"Ah. Okay. Excuse us please," I told the others.

I went to a corner of the room, carrying the projector. Technically there was no need for that, but it gave everyone else the illusion of privacy.

 _/"Player, you are being disgustingly obvious. Think about how you look to others."/_

"I'm sorry. Monika, I still love you best, but… I have to confess, she just pushes ALL my buttons."

 _/"Yes, I accept that. She is a super hot super nerd. I perfectly understand why. In fact, I'm not even angry about it. You'd think I'd feel even the slightest bit of jealousy, but… I really don't. It's so inevitable it doesn't even register. Does she even realize how seductive she's acting?"/_

"I… don't think so? I have a feeling she just has a poor idea of personal space. Ugh." I squatted as I faced the corner of the wall, and held Monika's tiny holographic figure to my chest. "This is kinda hard for me to deal with. I thought I couldn't get silly crushes anymore…"

 _/"I object to that, because I don't think Linze's crush is silly. Also, phrasing."/_

"Monika, you're being quite obvious about shipping me with Linze too. I mean, I like her, but… I feel like I'd be taking advantage of her, you know? I'm not sure if we should really be rushing into anything." I paused and added "Also, literally. I'm going to need your help with this later too."

 _/"Playerrr…!"/_

-.

-.


	24. Interlude 7, 8

**Interlude 7 – With her inside the salon**

* * *

-.

-.

Some time later, after Reim brought up a fresh calming pot of tea, they continued the discussion. Linze plastered a far too sweet smile on her face as she sipped tea and watched Mister Zah and Charlotte excitedly chatted about complex concepts.

 _'He doesn't belong to you,'_ she thought to herself. _'Just because you like someone doesn't mean they have any obligation to return it.'_

Like Elze complained, there were just random peasants from nowhere and as a naturally shy person she was very reluctant to express her interest. It was also quite clear to who Mister Zah belonged to.

And that was why she was DOUBLE INDIGNANT watching Mister Zah being so obvious with his fixation with the court magician with Miss Monika RIGHT THERE watching.

"So how is your knowing that we're actually crafting spells according to the Ancient Civilization's rules disadvantageous to us? I mean, it's not that much more dangerous compared to knowing that we have all-element casting," he asked.

Miss Charlotte shook her head. "Oh, no. It's purely a reward from me. You can READ and SPEAK the Lost Ancient Language. That is of incredible value to my research. Please help me with that, we will be able to help a lot of people. Knowledge should be shared for the benefit of all, not hoarded. Specially Ancient lore, they are the inheritance of all peoples."

"I hope you don't mean that it's dangerous for us to know," the Duke Ortlinde inserted himself into the discussion. "I had hoped you had more faith in us to keep your secrets than that. We won't abuse your trust or make you work if you don't want to."

Mister Zah laughed lightly. "That cat's out of the bag, we have more or less thrown our lot with you. Maybe knowing this would become dangerous for the people you don't like?"

Linze's grip on her teacup tightened. She never felt any annoyance at how so overwhelmingly overpowered Mister Zah was with his all-element casing or Miss Monika with her ability to infinitely stack spells for infinite power. They were like heroes who jumped straight off the storybooks, that was to be expected from people like that. Mysterious, powerful, charming…

Linze shivered and shook her head to clear it. She didn't feel she could stand beside him as an equal. But she could get there. She was sure of that.

But the court magician appearing out of nowhere with… that voluptuous body, that soft voice, that… that depth of knowledge to even prove Mister Zah wrong. That was just so… so unfair!

She wanted to reach over and just slap his face and shout 'Look at her! Miss Monika is just floating there now, not even looking at you anymore. She's staring at the vase, ignoring and being completely ignored.'

Linze seethed and started to get up, but felt Yae's hand on her shoulders. She turned to the other girl, who shook her head and with her kind eyes tried get Linze to calm down. Linze resented her willingness to mind her place. To be a warrior woman… does she first need to set aside her own sympathy as a woman?

"What do you research anyway? Actually, specifically, if creating new spells is supposed to be difficult how did you plan on duplicating Null abilities into elemental spells anyway?" Mister Zah asked.

"As you realized, a spell is composed of three parts. The easiest to modify is the defining chant. It would surprise you to learn that to create a new spell is actually easy. It is just that most of them fail to do anything. But if you could READ THE ANCIENT TEXTS you have many more powerful synonyms to work with," Miss Charlotte responded with a happy smile.

But it's Miss Monika that can do that? How would you even bribe someone who doesn't need money, doesn't need to eat or sleep? If she doesn't want to help, what can you do?!

Linze felt that some of the mystery and wonder of magic was being drained the more they talked about it. It shouldn't be something you just wrestle down and control.

But Mister Zah's smile was close to a smirk. He had explained to her before that while it seemed magic did not have a philosophical component, his affinities fit him perfectly. Wind, such complete and utter mastery of wind, because he wished for freedom above all things. Water, because freedom didn't mean chaos, he sought an equilibrium. Fire, because it was dynamic. Earth, least of all, because it was like quicksand pulling him down. Dark and Light in equal measure because he was only interested enough in what was in front of him.

And so Linze did wish that magic did have a philosophical component. Light being her weakest affinity could have said something about her lack of courage, her lack of willingness to sacrifice herself for others. It failed a little bit for those with only Null abilities, but if magic did work that way anyone could develop the magic best suited for them.

Mister Zah appeared out of nowhere, apparently blessed by magic itself.

And Miss Monika…

There was no justice here. How dare Mister Zah not pay attention to her at all times, when it was sure she was paying attention to him at all times! That sort of self-sacrificing love was sacred!

But she couldn't work up the nerve to say anything.

In the end, it was Sue who asked "Does this mean we can't cure mother's eyes? There's no magic for that after all…" And no one could begrudge her selfish wish at all.

"Oh! No, I'm sure there is!" Mister Zah replied.

 _/"There is. There are many ways, some of them worse than others,"/_ Miss Monika spoke up suddenly.

 _/"Things break and increase entropy. Entropy is also an energy state."/_ Miss Monika then turned to Sue, grinned, and wiggled her index finger. _/"Observe. [ **Rewind** ]."/_

Another spell circle appeared under the vase, and the shards pulled themselves back together. The again-whole vase rolled slightly to the side. The kinetic energy that would have shattered it was already spent.

Mister Zah leapt half out of his chair, startled. "Jesus Christ, Monika, what?! That's [Reparo]. That's… [Time Gem] shenanigans right there! That's ridiculously abusable. Instead of [Recovery] being able to heal all ailments, did you get the ability to repair anything non-organic instead?!"

 _/"I've been really thinking it over, and if we consider Time a vector that would also work,"/_ Miss Monika replied softly. While Mister Zah and Miss Charlotte theorized, she was working on the problem. Like she said before, she had nothing but time and her own thoughts. Always and always she ached about being useful. _/"But unfortunately I think if I applied it to Duchess Ellen, her eyes would be healed… yes. But she'd also lose five years of her memory."/_

Mister Zah carefully sat back down and said "Monika... for Sue, I wouldn't say that's worth it. But you... you basically just gave people eternal youth in exchange for literally losing years of their lives."

Miss Monika looked faintly sad. She didn't even care one bit about that or how she could use that power for her own benefit.

Linze felt envious of Charlotte, but she really admired and respected Monika in a completely different way from how Yae revered her. She was not an untouchable existence. While the court magician was the exemplification of everything she wished she could be, Miss Monika was Linze's ideal – the woman she wanted to imitate, the kind of person she wanted to grow up to become. Linze was a happy student.

 _/"I know! This is dangerous. But to me, that's how things work! [Recovery] may be a perfect spell, but until I see it in front of me, I can't perfectly [Decompile] it. Working from all the descriptions I had, this is the best I can do. So you better work out a harmless Light spell that accomplishes the same thing instead."/_

"Oh my. That really IS dangerous…" the Duke murmured.

But Miss Charlotte looked much less impressed. "I see. There are similar documented spells like [Repair], [Modeling], [Remake], and [Reshape] too. But this one works because of the strictly defined rule of time reversal instead of a command to repair itself.

"I have seen personal Null abilities that worked in a similar manner. There was this one Null spell that could just allow you to command objects to obey rules and conditions, as long as it was even vaguely possible..." She suddenly slapped her left hand over her right arm that began to twitch uncontrollably. She shivered, not because she was cold, but it was like she was afraid?

She shook her head and began to lightly slap her own face to wake up from a fugue. "Pardon me, I was… a little distracted there."

But now Mister Zah ignored her discomfort. "I can't just chkdsk and fixboot brains like boot sectors, Monika! If only [Cure Heal] was a specialist spell instead of two general purpose medical spells jammed together. Actually I think that for intent-based magic, Sue's good intentions with strong understanding and visualization of what needs to heal would be stronger than just throwing more magic at it."

 _/"So are you just going to be content being a tutor. Here. In the capital?"/_ Monika asked, with a tight note to her voice.

Mister Zah stopped, and his lips bent down in a scowl.

Linze grit her teeth. Be paid well to be a teacher and healer. Stop being an adventurer. Every day at walking distance to Miss Charlotte. Then… what about her and Linze? They were unnecessary. Yae too, she would leave, there was nothing interesting in magic and books for her.

He turned towards Sue and smiled sadly. "Sorry. We are adventurers after all."

Linze's heart sang. Yes. That was all they needed to be! Free and proud!

"But… but what about mother, then?" Sue asked plaintively. "It's very… harsh, not being able to see anything but patches of light. It's painful!" Like when she was going around with her eyes closed, it felt like light itself was pressing down on her eyeballs, the little girl explained. It would have been better if she was not partially healed at all.

Mister Zah and Miss Monika stared at each other. Only Miss Monika could see straight through that mask into his eyes. Moments passed but it was like they had a long conversation. Yes, that was a relationship that should not be set aside so easily.

Don't cheat, Mister Zah! Don't give in to temptation!

"I have an idea," said Mister Zah.

Miss Monika put her hand to her mouth and giggled. _/"Do tell."/_

"No one else can use my spells so simply because I've managed to make them all executables that require their own program layer. Fine. But there's this one amazing gal who can Decompile spells, and who can Apply the effects of spells onto others."

 _/"You can't give Duchess Ellen virtual eyesight, Player. We still haven't figured out which nerves or neurons are responsible for her blindness."/_

"No. But you and I are masters of air and vibration. We could make her A Woman Without Fear."

A what?

Miss Monika stood up straight, suddenly completely serious. _/"That… that could work. I know how it works. That's my radar sense. That's your active air pulse. If we combine that…"/_

Mister Zah raised his right hand, opened his white gloved fingers out wide… and then clenched it.

And once more Linze was reminded why only Mister Zah and Miss Monika could ever really fit each other. Power. Vast, uncompromising power rolled off them and touched everyone in the room in shimmering waves of force. They called it visualization, but to Linze, it was like they could just force the universe to bend to their will. Mister Zah refused to be contained. Miss Monika refused to be limited.

She was beginning to see why Yae behaved so meekly towards Monika.

"Come Forth, Wind," Zah Playa whispered, his voice oddly carried by the rapidly pulsating air. "Currents of knowing, [Air Sense]."

 _/"Sue, close your eyes,"/_ Miss Monika commanded. The little girl obeyed, and so did Linze. And so Miss Monika declared, _/"Borrow an aspect of Total Mastery over the Element of Wind! [Amplify: Proprioception], [Amplify: Somansensory Reception], [Stack: Haptic Feedback], [Stack: Air Sense], [Application: BLINDSIGHT!]/_

And then Linze's world exploded into a riot of colors. Because Monika had noticed, and to help her learn applied [Blind Sight] to her too. Colors intensified until it was painful, and then seemingly leeched away leaving muted pastel shades.

It was like a world washed out, but with deeper shadows. Shadows that seemed to come out in outlines from behind people and objects. It was if there was light, but it was centered on herself.

A world of sight, by sound. A world of color, by heat.

She could see Sue looking around, a look of awe on her face. Her blonde hair was dark almost purple hue, and her face was a fascinating pink.

Linze still didn't understand how this could make a woman without fear, unless it had something to do with how this sense could make someone 'see' equally well in broad daylight and in the moonless deep of night. There was nothing to fear in the dark, because there was no such thing anymore. Only a distant softness.

A woman without fear…

Was that a hint? Yes, Miss Monika. I will do better.

And then after a while, Monika said _/"[Cancel]"./_

Linze blinked repeatedly as her vision returned. The world through her natural eyes seemed darker, blurrier, less intense. Less… sublime.

Miss Charlotte gasped for breath, and put her hands over her heaving chest. She looked at Mister Zah and Miss Monika with fascination and hunger just as before, and now a little bit of terror.

"Does this… does this happen often?" she asked.

"What?" Mister Zah asked.

"Do you often just up-end everything about what is possible? [Blind] [Sight], a contradiction in terms. And yet… it's not even in the Ancient language. So quickly, so effortlessly…!"

Linze laughed. Openly, and her now lukewarm tea spilled over her skirt. Because the answer was YES. Very obviously, YES.

Then she stopped. Only she realized the penalty required for this spell. Miss Monika would have to sacrifice one of her immeasurably precious spell slots just to allow one blind person to have this strange form of sight. Mister Zah would not correct their unfairly blessed ignorance, he was too kind like that.

At least a week until Mister Zah could return for his tutoring promise for Sue. A lot of things could happen in a week.

"That is very, very, VERY dangerous…" the Duke murmured.

Linze agreed silently.

-.

-.

* * *

Interlude 8 – With her out in the training yard

* * *

-.

-.

Meanwhile, Elze was led out to the back of the mansion, past the sculpted garden, and into a barracks area with a sandy drill yard. The soldiers they passed by only looked quizically at the white-haired girl walking behind their chief of the house guards, until the recognized who that might be. They bowed in respect as they passed.

"Here we are," said Captain Hanse. "Now, Miss Elze, if I understand correctly, you are largely self-trained in pugilism? There are some little tricks you may have missed, and a little sparring will help with that."

"That's it? You're not going to give me any hassle about being girl that beat what your guys had trouble with? I was really expecting someone to do that, I wouldn't have believed it either."

The old guardsman scoffed, "What do we look like, some petty little noble's show guards? We're the Ortlinde Ducal Guards! What, are we supposed to think our Young Lady would be lying about the people who saved her life? Maldon wouldn't be lying about the death of his own younger brother either."

"Oh. Well… sorry about that. I don't mean to sound arrogant and all."

Captain Hanse nodded. "That you're a girl doesn't matter. But you are still a kid, so I'll forgive that too."

"Oy, oy, oy… you're crossing a line there old man!" Elze replied with a reckless grin.

The chief of the guards tugged at his own large well-groomed mustache and grinned back. "Then what are you going to do about it?"

-.

-.

"Before we begin, show me what you can do. Go run around this field as fast as you can until I say 'Stop'." The captain pointed to the four corners of the training yard.

"Sure, sure!" Elze saluted and went to it.

The first lap kicked up too much dust and sand. Elze began to figure how how fast she could move without her feet digging too deep into the loose soil. She ran perfectly following the lines and sharply turning at the corners, obviously using her power and with [Boost] active her head would start hurting before her body started to feel tired.

After several minutes, she heard the Captain order "Stop."

She walked over to meet him at the center of the yard, not even breathing heavily.

"You used your power."

"You didn't say not to..."

Captain Hanse smirked. "Now why would I do a silly little thing like stop you from using your most effective weapon? If you have to fight, fight with all you have."

Elze beamed. Yup. This old dude was cool.

-.

-.

"Now, what I heard is that you have something called [Boost] that makes you move faster, hit harder. I actually have something similar, it's called [Imperturbable]. So don't hesitate, hit me as hard and as fast as you can."

Elze stared up at the beefy mountain of a house guard. She had on her gauntlets and greaves. Similarly, the Captain had decided to shuck off his chest plate, leaving him only with the padded jack underneath and his arms and leg armor.

He looked like a bruiser, devastating and slow.

Elze dug the tip of her boot into the ground and kicked up, flinging sand up towards the Captain's eyes ahead of her kick which was actually aimed towards the midsection.

The Captain merely leaned aside and intercepted her kick with the back of a steel-clad fist. "Good! That's the way to do it!"

"So it's okay to cheat?" Elze asked impishly as she stepped back. "What about giving someone a fair fight?"

"That is correct. Young, old, man, woman, it doesn't matter. In a fight, use what weapons you have available!" said the Captain.

"That's really weird to hear from noble guards."

"We're not knights. We don't need that chivalry nonsense, we're not examples to anybody. We're guards – so the important thing, the only thing, is for the people we protect to survive. Cheat! Lie! Kill! Do whatever it takes, only fools and dead men try to fight fair when your enemy won't give you any of that anyway!"

Elze nodded. Very good words to live by. Then she kicked off the ground and attacked again.

She slid forward, then suddenly juked to the side to deliver a punch to the ribs. The Captain met it with his elbow. A loud brassy sound rang through the field.

Elze barely had time to reach to an overhead knife palm blow to her neck. She blocked it with her own [Boosted] forearm, and another brassy sound rang.

Elze sniffed and skipped back. "I see. Imperturbable."

The Captain of the Ortlinde Guards could make his limbs imperturbable, surpassing human limits. Not to the multiples that her [Boost] could provide, but being immune to damage was just as perfectly good. It meant he couldn't tear his muscles no matter how hard he forced that limb.

-.

-.

They traded blows for a while, and seeing a slim young teen apparently able to meet their powerful Captain strength for strength was enough to draw everyone that was off duty for the day.

"You like going for the legs. Why is that? Most people I know would be jumping to add more force to their blows by now."

"Footing is everything!" Elze replied. "Also, fight a master of wind magic in mid-air? That's dumber than bricks!"

Hanse laughed. "Good enough! I may be no master of wind magic, but if you had tried that, I'd have picked you up and thrown you. Never give up leverage, girl."

As Elze darted around, avoiding Captain Hanse's return blows, she asked "What else am I going to use leverage for? It's not like I can throw you. And why throw when you can punch? Throwing the enemy away means I'd have to chase after them again."

"Ah, but sometimes there will be enemies that you can't punch to death. And so being able to take them out of the fight for a while is just as good."

The guard captain stopped and held up his arm, palm out.

"You know what your problem is, right?"

"Range?"

"No. Reach. As long as you are fighting in melee, there are also a lot of things that could be used to disrupt your ability to punch. You are a striker, and you've neglected the other part of bare-hand combat entirely. Grappling is your weakness. You just don't have the weight or reach for that.

"But unfortunately you're too little for me to demonstrate grappling throws and falls. Edgar, come here."

"Hey!" Elze protested vainly as a tall young guardman stepped up to the sands and saluted.

Captain Hanse kicked the young man's feet together, and as he topped, tossed him over his shoulder. The young soldier hung limp and spread out his arms to land flat on his back, spreading out the force of impact.

Elze pursed her lips. "These… look familiar somehow. I think… ah! I've seen Yae throw people like this before! She's from Eashen, this is Eashen martial arts! Did you learn this from Yae's father… Mister Kokonoe?"

"That's right. Twenty years ago, I was actually a sparring partner for the now Viscount Sordrick."

And so Captain Hanse began to demonstrate on the hapless guardsman, tossing him to the ground again and again.

"It's not enough to disrupt your enemy's center of balance. It doesn't matter how bigger than you or how heavier than you – if just use his center of gravity against him then you can throw down anyone. Someone flat on the ground is much easier to deal with, if not by you then any of your companion's weapons or magics."

Hip throws, back throws, knee throws, reaps, wheels, and sacrifice throws, Edgar suffered them all silently.

"Now, you try," the captain said to Elze.

"May I ask for mercy?" Edgar whimpered. "Please, be gentle."

Elze just grinned up at him.

-.

-.

Klong. Klong. Klong.

Klong.

Elze could put all force and speed into her blows, blows that could kill anyone, but against the Captain's [Imperturbable] limbs it wouldn't even make him budge. But since his arms and legs didn't get any heavier, he could still counter-attack just as fast and Elze had to learn how to stop over-committing to a strike.

"There is like a law," said Captain Hanse, "that as hard as you hit something, you also feel that force going back up your arm. That's why you can see many people who augment their strength attack from above or make jumping strikes. Lets your weight pull you down to the ground overcoming that force."

"Every action carries a complete and opposite reaction… I heard about this too." That was how Playa managed to fly over when his air jets shouldn't be able to push off the ground anymore.

"So, you hit, bounce back, hit again. If you are hit, you use that force given to you by your enemy not only to move your own limbs but to deflect where their limbs will be."

Captain Hanse relaxed his [Imperturbable] to demonstrate. He blocked another kick by Elze, and pushed down to shift her center of balance. Elze used that to whip around using her hip as the fulcrum to kick again with her other leg towards his face. The Captain blocked with his other forearm, then drove forward with two outstretched fingers towards Elze's exposed torso.

"Ugh!" Elze crossed her arms over her ribs to receive the blow.

But the Captain changed his hand to an open palm and grabbed Elze's bracer. He moved one step forward and then drove her down to the ground, slamming her back onto the sand and driving all breath from her.

Because for those brief moments, Elze forgot that she was not in contact with the ground. Mid-air was the most dangerous place to be.

"Don't try to be too clever, trying to force openings to appear. What you could have done is to kick down towards the knee as soon as the high kick failed, then if the knee hit is avoided, flick your body forward with the spent force to punch. Recoil back, and then kick. Hit, and recoil with the opposite arm. Remember, your whole body is a lever moving around your center of gravity."

Elze got up, dusted herself off and nodded. Kick, punch, block. Kick, punch, block. As often as possible, as fast as possible, use the energy bled off from each to fuel the next one.

So next time Elze caught a straight punch on her bracers that would have usually driven her back several paces she didn't hold her arm as stiff as before, but let it absorb the blow. As soon as her fist touched her chest, she pushed down on herself to angle her body to the side and her elbow back towards the enemy's open chest.

She circled about, now inside the enemy's guard, slapping the arm down with her defending arm jack-knifing out and the other arm in a blade hand position towards the enemy's throat. The captain grabbed her outstretched hand to defend.

But now both his hands were similarly engaged, so Elze pulled on her captured limb to bring her closer to the enemy and kicked him in the balls.

[Klongg]

Imperturbable.

"Better!" said the Captain. "But now I can do this."

And so he trapped her in a bear hug.

The watching guardsmen hollered about 'how unfair' and 'that's too much taking advantage!' and 'I should have thought to do that earlier too, dammit!' until the Captain arched his spin backwards and drove Elze's head into the ground in a suplex.

But gently, because she was so much smaller that the Captain's head actually touched the ground first.

"Ugh, grappling," Elze complained, spitting sand. "How annoying. Is this why people started to like using swords instead?"

"Hahahaha. No."

-.

-.

Elze sparred with every soldier there, so that everyone could get used to burst combat. It was very clear that the guards were more used to weapons, and when the sparring shifted to using their weapons they were just as lost dealing with someone who could snap their spears like twigs and push their swords back to stab themselves.

It was fun.

Very little of what she was learning was applicable to the goal of beating Playa's face in, because he was a cheating cheater who cheats who CAN FRIGGING FLY, but it was useful to shore up her own deficiencies in defense.

As the Captain explained, while [Boost] and [Imperturbable] could strengthen limbs, it did very little to protect their own midsections. It boosted muscle strength where available, so if Elze wanted to protect her very vulnerable organs she had better learn how to get some very impressive abs.

Elze blanched.

-.

-.

"I still need to do something about range..." Elze mused as they all took a break to cool down after sparring.

"You could just throw things," one of the young guards said the obvious.

Elze shook her head. Playa's [Spinning Air Shield] worked against that. Linze had [Ice Wall]. Reach was a very serious problem. She could maybe get something heavier and sharper… maybe a throwing axe?

She picked up a loose stone and flicked it, applying [Boost] to her fingers. The stone shot forth and cracked open the sand-filled head of a target dummy. It was a [Stone Bullet], but really nothing special enough to called a technique. [Air Shield] worked really well against that.

The young soldier gulped, and reconsidered how he planned to chat her up.

Elze frowned and practiced the flicking motion with her gauntleted hand. There were few weapons she could think of that wouldn't be made just redundant with how her arm armor was its own weapon.

-.

-.

When she asked the Captain about it later, he remarked "So your young man is abusing the advantage of range, you say? With his sword-spear, and his flight, and his bombardment options… I can see how that would be very annoying."

"I can still beat him when I can punch through his [Air Shield]. But… more and more he's getting faster and can fly higher, so at some point that's not going to work anymore."

"Have you considered bigger rocks?"

"It's not like I can just carry around bigger rocks!" Elze objected with a pout. "I've done trees. But I'm going to run out of trees if I keep doing that."

The Captain chortled. "What a frightening young lady you are. Way I see it, you have two options. The first is to get a weapon that feels right to you, one that improves your reach. The other is for you to simply be able to [Jump Higher]."

"But the more I ramp [Boost] the quicker I'll get tired."

"Which leads back to the weapon for attack and defense while conserving energy. That is indeed the reason why they remain the most significant force in the army even through centuries of magic. Hmm." Captain Hanse rubbed at his long pointed chin hair for some time. "Have you considered that ancient reliable tool of persuasion, the sling?"

Slings, little more than a pouch between two lengths of rope, spun to throw a blunt projectile like a smoothened rock (the root of the word 'bullet', 'small ball') had long been made obsolete in war by the bow and metal armor. They were still used by shepherds to drive off wild animals though, a weapon any peasant was allowed to because they were so little a threat to noble power.

Elze looked at her metal-clad fingers. Well at least carrying a sling around wouldn't be a bother. She could just wrap it around her wrist like a bracelet.

"But it's still less than useful against armor. Even padded mail."

"Heavy lead bullets."

Huh. Well. That would work.

-.

-.

It was lunchtime when the party could get all back together again.

"Oh, hey everyone! Did you have fun?" she asked her sister and her friends. She had fun. Sweaty, hot, but fun.

They looked far too somber. There was a cold, ambivalent feeling in the air. Zah Playa looked skittish and Linze refused to look at him.

It was also the first time Elze was introduced to the court magician, Charlotte, and she also had to acknowledge how the woman looked exactly like Playa's type. Since unlike Linze, Playa and her were actually very comfortable just chatting with each other (either alone or while sparring) she actually had a good idea of what he was looking for a woman – intelligent, decisive, and a little older and more worldly. Monika fit all of those perfectly – if only she had a body.

The court magician was also bashfully not looking at Playa and Monika.

Well. It looks like Playa must have done something to offend Linze somehow. Elze smirked, cracked her knuckles, and made a mental note to harass him about this later.

-.

-.

* * *

(AN:)

The difference between Elze and Linze is thus:

 _\- Linze: Someday I will be able to stand by with him as an equal._

 _\- Elze: Now how do I keep on being able to beat his face in?_

Also:

 _\- Playa: Magicmagicmagic!_

 _\- Elze: Heavier rock._

\- Klongg!

Elze and Playa are Super Best Friends. He expects her to hassle him about little shit but will have his back when it really counts.

It's kinda like how Kazuma and Darkness are such terrible people that deserve each other but Megumin and Kazuma look just so comfy together. (ref: Konosuba, a much much better Isekai than even the source material for this fic)


	25. Finally Back Home

**Finally Back Home**

* * *

-.

.-

After five years, Duchess Ellen could see again. The very first thing she did was to cup her daughter's face and weep. Sue also began crying. Even the Duke's eyes grew misty as they all combined into one warm family hug.

I will skip all the effusive thanks afterwards. I explained it was not a permanent solution. But now we had a real goal and a real plan for reaching that goal. In exchange for every bit of information and resources regarding whatever we might use to be able to give Monika back her body, we had the objective of creating a new all-purpose easy-to-use specialized healing spell. It should be easy enough even for Sue to use.

The Duke offered that we should not return to the hotel and stay as guests in his home, as long as we wanted. While he respected that we didn't want to be tied down, he was ready to extend as much of his protection to us as we were willing to accept. That was the least he could do for the great kindness we had given his family. It was an open invitation, just drop in any time.

"It's okay. We like seeing Sue happy. You already paid us back enough."

"Ahaha… so. You like Sue?"

"Sir. Don't make me punch your face."

"Ahahahaha." The Duke good-naturedly clapped my shoulders again and then pulled me aside to whisper privately. "In that case, I can only offer you this little advice.

"You are not the first to fall for Miss Charlotte. And you certainly won't be the last. I don't mean to say anything against her character, she is no wanton woman at all. But you must know - despite how she acts, she is not very learned in the ways of love. Her first love will always be magic research. So I hope you don't try and expect too much… many men have been deluded into thinking she had more interest in them than what she intended. Many to their ultimate detriment, losing their own character in the process."

Then he paused and considered "Though on further thought, she hasn't met someone before who has such a mastery of magic equal to her own. And you both do seem to love learning new things about magic… you actually might have a chance?"

 _/"My lord, do not make me zap you,"/_ Monika hummed straight into his ears.

"Ahahaha."

-.

.-

We stayed until dinner to make sure that Duchess Ellen's [Blind Sight] was working properly, and while it was very strange her five years of blindness meant she didn't have much to unlearn. It was strange not to be able to see real colors, but it was enough that she could finally see how her daughter was growing up.

She could not see Monika, because Monika's avatar was a pattern of light projected onto mist that took advantage of the human eye's low scanning rate. She was the first to ask if we could actually commission a statue of Monika.

"That… is certainly an idea…" After all, in the world I came from, 3D printing and custom figurines were a bustling business. Could I go into the action figure trade?

A full-size statue of Monika... I'd be far too tempted to build a temple around it and troll future generations.

Charlotte confirmed that we could indeed read the Ancient Script by showing up a page of the Protected Language. We all refused to just be her in-house translator though. While clearly archeology was important, it would also be monstrously inefficient if she just shoved pages at us. And I meant that literally, she was doing that. We asked Charlotte to prepare what she knew of the lexicon and choose untranslated works by what seemed the most significant.

Since there was a lot of Ancient transcribed writings, it was possible she'd disappear into a library and not come out for weeks. Thank Monika.

Even though Charlotte was my type, even I could see how her obsession about research could also get annoying very quickly. Normal people could only suffer being pathetically ignored. For her research subject the difference between a library and bondage dungeon could be... academic.

-.

.-

And so that left us heading back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. Warm and satiated we were just barely awake, ready to fall into a happy food coma.

Elze reached into her money pouch and took out the two new platinum coins there. Two hundred silver. A year and half of lodgings. She put it back and sighed.

"JUST QUIT ADVENTURINGG ALREADYYY!" Elze screamed suddenly and threw a rock at my face. Klongg. It bounced harmlessly off my helmet.

Wait, we're in a moving carriage where did you even get that rock?

"Sis?" Linze looked up, startled. "Wa-what do you mean by that?!"

Elze huffed, sat back down with her arms crossed, and pouted. See, in reward for giving the Duchess back her eyesight, as unconventional as it may be, I was given six new platinum coins. The girls were each given two more platinum coins because they were around, I guess.

"It's barely been a day. Could you just go a day without getting ridiculous good fortune thrown at you? If you want to learn about what could give Miss Monika back her body, then you could just do it as well as a merchant or a healer, can't you? Just hire adventurers to search for things in your place!"

In my defense, I did also just spend a lot yesterday. It's not like there's a great number of blind Duchesses out there, this was not a sustainable form of income. I nodded. "True. I could be rich…"

Then I smiled and leaned against the side of the carriage. "But then... would I be strong?"

Elze blinked. "Is… that actually important to you? Aren't you pretty strong already?"

"Wealth can be power. Information can be power. But only power is power. What is the point if you can't defend those you love?" I smiled wider a little bit and touched my headset again. "Right now Monika is very fragile. But a body will make Monika very, very vulnerable."

 _/"Which is why I'm not in a hurry, you know? I'll probably lose the ability to cast all these [Null] spells for free."/_ Monika added in a warning tone, _/"Remember, you just said it. What's the worth of power if you can't use it to defend those you love?"/_

"Hugs. The worth of power is measured in being able to give hugs to those you love. Watt-hugs. A world in the hug economy is a better place. A world where I can't hug mah waifu isn't worth defending."

 _/"Ahahaha…. wow. That's… that's just too sappy, Player. But I appreciate the sentiment anyway."/_ She smiled and moved inside my field of view as if to kiss my forehead. I felt the touch through force feedback. _/"I understand. Sentimentality is what keeps us human instead of machines of logic searching only for every tactical advantage. But you may have to live with the idea that there are… some things… I may never be able to give you. Don't lose sight of what's in front of you, Player."/_

"Don't worry. I'm not going to take any unethical shortcuts."

Monika laughed and shook her head. She vanished from my view, returning my field of view back into the normal outside camera. Elze and Linze looked at me quizzically. Linze looked ecstatic for some reason, while Elze was tapping her chin with her knuckles while staring at me contemplatively.

She made as if to speak, and then shuffled back deeper into her seat, crossing her arms again. "Nah, next time we spar. We'll talk about that then…"

Eh? Well, whatever.

Yae, as usual, sat dutifully straight. She was the complete opposite to Elze's lounging about like some sort of school-skipping hooligan. She turned to look at me, as if feeling my gaze on her. After an expectant pause, she said "I understand that strength is best wielded in service to one's liege. Only when one can live outside of oneself can someone be strong. But to fight to protect your family is honorable too.

"A retainer that sacrifices one's family in service to their liege is admirable in their loyalty, but a man who would so easily abandon his family for power is also not one worth serving. Nor should he be trusted as a servant, they should not."

I nodded in acknowledgment. "A very good point."

"Monika-sama is the source of your power. And by this I do not mean magic power. Once we reach your home town, Playa-dono, I request that you show me your real strength."

Ahahahah…. Yeah. She was really serious about that match, huh? I had a strong feeling that if I refused or even tried to leave her behind she'd track me down and challenge me anyway.

-.

.-

And so, early the next morning, we were off.

Back on the wagon with our two mottled horses. Yae mumbled fondly at them and brushed their fur. The horses seem to have missed her too and neighed plaintively. They carried our weight and baggage well.

Linze looked conflicted, and then relieved, as we passed through the city gates. When I asked, she replied that it would have been nice to have more time to go shopping for some new clothes, but then she remembered Zanac was a clothier over his own fashion designs and so it would likely be superior to have unique tailored dresses.

She looked in even more a hurry to get back and ask him things.

We had a new plan for getting back home in record time. Instead of traveling during the day like sane people, we would rest through the morning and mid-afternoon and actually travel mostly at night. When it's dark out, I could lighten the load with Wind magic, Monika could apply [Night Vision] to the horses and [Amplify] their Speed and Endurance. Probably no one would see a simple horse-drawn wagon running at almost autobahn speeds.

Elze asked if I felt like going back to that town with the rude guards and show them up. Whatever backing they have can't compare to a Duke. The king's brother, even!

I thought about it, but then that sounded needlessly petty and a waste of our time. We bypassed Amanesque entirely and stopped at the much humbler inn in the next village, Nolan. What took us three days getting to the capital we traveled in a little under one day.

And then the next day after that, we finally saw the stone walls of that little adventurer town.

I stood up on the wagon and declared "Reflet! I have returned!"

We were home.

-.

.-

And then once we entered the Silver Moon Inn we found this bearded old guy behind the counter instead of Micah's untroubled welcoming smile as I was looking forward to seeing.

"Who the hell are you?!" I roared.

-.

.-

"Who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?!" the man roared back.

"Who the hell am I? I asked first! Who the hell are you?!"

"Who the hell am I? I own this place! Who the hell are you?!"

"What is tarnation is all this noise now?!" Micah emerged from the kitchen door. She saw two men pointing their fingers at each other like fencing swords over the bar counter. She sighed. "I see you're back. Mister Playa, Elze, Linze. You're back early!"

"You know this annoying guy, Micah?"

"You know this annoying old guy, Micah?"

"Who's annoying?!" he screamed at me again.

Micah sighed, went over and chopped at the air between us. "This is my dad, Dolan. I guess it's understandable that you don't know. He was out traveling to restock our inventory of spices and preserved meats."

All the way to Mismede, even! We didn't even know he existed for the two weeks we've been staying in the Silver Moon Inn. We all actually just thought that, like Aer, her parents were dead in the war and didn't dare to bring up a sensitive topic.

"And dad, stop picking fights with paying customers. This is Playa, and Elze, and Linze, they're staying here. They already paid up to the rest of the month in advance."

Dolan scowled and crossed his beefy arms. "We don't need this kinda guy here. Give them back their mo-"

"NO. No refunds. You know the policy. This is why mom left the Inn to me, dad. Just because trading spices is how we keep afloat doesn't mean making a profit in the inn isn't something a worth doing in itself!"

Dolan grumbled and crossed his arms, and was just a bit short of pouting after being scolded.

I looked up sharply as a thought occurred to me. "Wait… so if he wasn't here all that time. Then that means… all that time I thought you had a cook, instead YOU were taking care of ALL the cooking. I thought it was just breakfast you were doing because the cook would come in later in the day. But you were always serving like, three recipes in every meal. And all the cleaning, and even the washing… for all of us, all on your own?!"

Micah looked relaxed and not really very enthused to excel, but when it comes down to it she had a very strong work ethic.

She squinted at me. "What's with that look on your face?"

Although no one could see my wide awestruck eyes, my neck was starting to bend in an odd angle like a confused ostrich. The rest of my body followed suit.

"Yes, what is with that look?!" Dolan growled, his already scowl-lined forehead pinching down again.

Monika put a hand to her chin and murmured admiringly /"… in all honesty, I don't find anything objectionable about the Micah Route."/

I turned towards Dolan and said in a much more respectful tone, "Ah. I see. In that case, Mister Dolan, I have a proposition for you."

He scowled at me, looked at his daughter, and then back to me. He barked out "NO."

"I mean a business proposition. How do you feel about… chickens?"

Dolan blinked. "What."

Elze grabbed at my shoulder and pulled me back. "Playa, come on. We're been traveling for so long and we're tired. Play around with your money-making schemes later. We've got one last thing to do before we can rest."

Fiiine.

And then there was a loud bestial growling sound.

As one we turned around. Yae lifted a hand to her mouth and looked away, hiding her body with the wide trailing sleeve of her pink kimono.

Grrrrooooowwwl. Again went her stomach.

She blushed.

"All righty then," I turned sharply around towards Micah again. "Micah, I bring you a new resident to this inn! What have we got in terms of… provisions?"

"We have hams! All sorts of hams!" she proudly declared in response, while opening out her arms.

I nodded slowly. "Stupendous."

-.

.-

After Yae wrote her name into the inn's registry, and we all paid in advance for the next month (which delighted Micah and only grudgingly acknowledged by her father), we sat down to eat. Micah quickly cut us up some hams, breads, and cheese. Served with a large loaf of brown bread, olive oil, and some clear broth to whet our tongues from the salty dryness. This world had already invented sandwiches.

Though not hamburgers. And even then, I supposed, it wouldn't matter. A franchise was a matter of branding and atmosphere.

Nom. Nom.

Yae was not shy about asking for seconds. And thirds. And fifths. Micah and Dolan didn't know what to say. Even Monika had to stare. Where was all that food going? Could there possibly be some sort of internal magic with direct food matter to extradimensional energy conversion?!

No. No there was not.

In the end only Yae needed to have food expenses added to her bill, instead of the usual meals included for two copper. None of us could say anything about that either.

-.

.-

I slammed open the double doors. "ZANAC ZENFIELD!" I shouted as I strode into his shop. "I HAVE RETURNED!"

Zanac was attending to a well-dressed lady, and yelped at the bang and the sudden shout. He dived and rolled, protecting the falling gown with his body. Not even a bit of it touched the ground.

The lady, with her curled and coiffured light brown hair turned towards us and then her face twisted into a disdainful sneer. "Plebians. How rude."

I stepped inside and announced "We have completed our mission!"

"Adventurers? Miscreants! What are they doing here?" She turned towards Zanac, who was slowly getting back up to his feet. "Send them away, Zanac."

"Um… I actually did send for…"

"What does that matter? Hirelings should know their place! If you do not stand up to this impudence, commoners will think they can take advantage of you. You have to be firm with these sort of people! Do not disappoint me, Zanac…!"

Then she turned towards the door and glanced at each of us. I was up front, of course, with my white-gloved right hand still outstretched in a dramatic pose. Elze and Linze followed, with Elze carrying what looked like two thick poles of purple cloth over her shoulders. Yae was only barely visible behind them.

Her lips curled up even higher in contempt. "Louts! Have you decency? Have you any idea who you offend with your disgraceful behavior?"

-.

.-


	26. Fade to Black

**Fade to Black**

* * *

-.

.-

I leaned back as if suddenly remembering something, and nodded. "Ah. Sorry, Zanac. Was I too loud? Really, I'm just excited to be back, there's so many new interesting developments. Viscount Sordrick sends his regards, by the way."

"Kuh. That is the proper response. Show respect to the owner of the establishment as you would be a guest in someone's home!" The noble lady held a thumb up to her lips and bit at her nails in frustration. "Even if you intend to buy, the owner has no obligation to allow you to stay – it is their right to refuse a sale…"

Then she pointed at me "But are you ignoring me?!"

I walked in, not even paying her any attention. I whipped out the silver-alloy medal and asked "Hey, Zanac! Look what I have now!"

Zanac blinked his small, childlike eyes. "Is… is that the Duke of Ortlinde's symbol? You are a privileged person to the House of Ortlinde?!"

"Yep. So all those things we talked about before? We can now completely sidestep all lesser functionaries."

"Ah… excuse me, but… may I know your name, gentleman adventurer?"

"… Hm?"

And now that lady from before was sidling closer, slightly leaning forward to give me a good view of the low-cut bodice typical of their seemingly 17th to early 18th century fashions. I dimly recalled this was why Puritan fashion was so insistent on covering up as a reactionary measure to immoral consumption. There were sumptuary laws (1) that forbid commoners from dressing up in a way that imitated the appearance (and thus being mistaken for) aristocrats.

While it was odd to me how oddly anachronistic were the cuts of some regular clothes, what with vests and neckties and such, here nobles were apparently not only okay with but were apparently expected to have most of their breasts just hanging out dangerously close to scandalous slippage. Which was, I supposed, historically accurate as well. (2)

And for me, completely unappealing. I tilted my head only enough to acknowledge her existence. "You have good taste, madam. I will ask Zanac to reserve that dress for you. But for now… please leave. Mister Zanac and I have sensitive matters to discuss."

What made it more disturbing was that her face was made up to look like a doll with round bright red circular lipstick and a heavy blush on her cheeks. Deep dark eyeliner highlighted her otherwise uninteresting muddy brown eyes. She did not have drill hair or princess curls, but her dirty blonde hair was pulled tight into a bun secured by a wing-shaped headdress. Her voice too was pitched a little too high, then would drop an octave in anger.

"What-?! You dare drive me away from my… no. Adventurer! I refuse! Tell me your name that I might show you the proper wages to your insolence!"

"You knowing my name or me remembering your name could possibly be… disadvantageous… to you. Whoever you are you should not look for my attention when discharging the duties of my appointment."

She glared at me and grit her teeth. "I… I am the daughter of the House of Zenovivie, you do not scare me…!"

I turned away from her and towards Zanac again.

She balled her fists and clutched at her hooped skirt as if to do a curtsy or maybe lift it up for a high kick. Zanac began shaking his head wildly from side to side, his eyes wide with fear.

"Tch!" she hissed again. "This is not the end of this! You will regret it!" She subtly pulled up on her long gown exposing her heels, and skedaddled forthwith. The girls quickly moved aside to let her through.

Zanac sighed and palmed his face. "Sir Playa, was that really necessary?"

"Completely," I answered.

He stared doubtfully at my flat expression, and sighed. "But that was… no, I guess I'll just have to make it up for her later. What brings you so… energetically… to my door, Sir Playa? It couldn't just be the fulfillment of your mission, though I thank you for that too."

I answered in a much more cheerful tone "Look what else I've got!" I turned aside and Elze approached, slamming down the tubes she was carrying. "Armor cloth! Dye-safe enchanted armor cloth!"

Zanac's eyebrows lifted, impressed. "Those sound expensive. I'm interested, but…" he shook his head, "I'm sorry to say that I don't actually work with armor cloth. I'm afraid I can't buy them."

"I'm not here to sell them, I'm here to ask you to use them to make our suits."

"Ah! Well that makes more sense!" He slid forward and began to stroke at the bolts of cloth in an almost sensual manner. "Fascinating… most fascinating. Still somewhat rough, but I didn't expect mithril weave to be like this. Will this fabric leave permanently bent folds? When you asked me for clothes that could be used in combat, I was presuming you meant clothes made of dirt and tearing resistant materials, not actually armor-quality cloth."

Then he turned his attention to the other bolt of cloth. "And this one is more of a metallic fabric than metal strands. It's like the fibers were infused with the metal. Interesting."

Then he looked up at me and shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, I still do not work well with armor. You should go for an actual armorer for this. My abilities lie mainly in working with fashion… in clothing without obvious utility. Armor is too obvious in having utility."

I tilted my head to the side. "Why… would that even matter? You are Zanac, the FASHION KING. I'm sure you know how to make things fashionable with your own judgment."

"But I don't know how to make-… wait." He paused and looked up at me. His thin yellow eyebrows furrowed. "What did you just say?"

"You… know fashion? I mean, you know better than any armorer what would make someone look good. Most people would just buy finished suits, but that's why I bought bolts of armor cloth instead."

Zanac looked up at me. Then his face all scrunched up and his eyes began to water. "You trust me that much?"

"Ah…"

Zanac began to cry. "I had to work hard to make my personal ability have a use... and you just say it's irrelevant!"

I began to panic. "Aaaaah. Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to offend you! I was just hoping it would be a cool project. If you don't have time, that's fine too!"

Zanac hugged me by the waist and began to cry into my shirt. Zanac, I would remind you, was a short person even shorter than most women.

What heck. Why. Elze. Linze. Help meee.

They just giggled in response.

"Sir Playa!" Zanac looked up and declared proudly, "I may not be an armorer, but you understand… fashion is what we make of it! With only my own skills, my own experience, this is possible. You saw that, didn't you?"

-.

.-

And so we were paid one gold (7 silver + 3 bonus) for our mission. And then we ended up paying Zanac two gold (20 silver) each for our new combat outfits, with another two gold on completion. That was all labor costs, because the cloths themselves cost a platinum each (100 silver). Which really led me to remember that Zanac had vastly overpaid me on our first meeting for my clothes.

We all stared at the exchange, and laughed. He tried to give back half of the down payment.

"Zanac… we're kinda friends, right?" I said as I refused.

"Y-yes!" the clothier responded eagerly. "I am honored to be considered your friend, Sir Zah!"

"So it's a matter of respect for your own time and expertise. It doesn't matter if it's a thing you enjoy or if we're going to have fun brainstorming or getting the girls to dress up, it's still valuable work hours we're spending."

Elze still looked unconvinced. "We're not damsels that need to be protected, you know. We're capable of paying for our own stuff."

"Well of course. But the thought would not normally occur to buy armor cloth instead of a finished outfit. What the clothes will look like in the end is completely your decision."

"Sis… there are advantages to this," Linze said softly. "There was actually something I wanted to ask Mister Zanac about this anyway. Not… um, armor clothes. Just regular clothes."

Elze sighed and turned to Yae. "I guess I'm outnumbered. But what about you? What do you think about all this frippery?"

Yae shrugged minutely. "I am… fine… with what I have right now. However, having clothes that resist tearing or stabbing, I must admit to some interest in such things, that I am."

I grinned at Elze a bit. "Oh we are so going to have fun playing dress-up with you. It's completely fine to want to wear regular dresses, you know?"

"S-shut up! It's not like that! I'm… I'm the sensible one! I am!"

For as Zanac and I had discussed before, the concept of a fashion show or a fashion magazine did not actually exist just yet. What's sensible but gorgeous clothing for adventurers? Branding was important! There was a wild untapped market out for people with poor spending tempers, large amounts of pride and independent feeling, and disposable income!

Zanac and I grinned and slapped our palms together in a strong comradely handshake.

We exited Zanac's FASHION KING ZANAC to see the noble lady from before waiting for us by the curb. A tall thin servant held up an umbrella while another shorter fatter one fanned her with an ostritch-feather fan to beat the mid-afternoon heat.

Also there with her were four burly guards right in front of the door in between us and her. They had broad square jaws, even broader shoulders, and surprisingly hefted billy clubs instead of guardsman's swords. The wore bronzed breastplates for protection, the metal etched with an insignia of a wolf in front of a gate.

"Finally! To make me wait, your rudeness really knows no bounds!"

I opened my arms out in bewilderment. "… What even is this? You were waiting all this time preparing to beat us up and I'm the one who's rude?"

"YOU ARE A FAAAAKEEE!" she yelled and pointed at me with a slim red manicured finger.

 _/"… Well she's not wrong,"/_ Monika said impishly.

-.

.-

"Lady, do you really think we just forged up these medals?" I took out my Ortlinde medal again, and then the girls slowly showed theirs as well.

The noblewoman's eyes only narrowed in response. "F-favor is given and can be taken back! As the old aphorism goes, the tail should not be wagging the dog! Do not think that will protect you if your actions work against the interests and the reputation of House Ortlinde!"

"Look, if this this about my behavior inside Zanac's shop, I apologize. But I have no time for unnecessary obsequiousness. Surely you cannot expect an adventurer to adhere to your courtly standards. That is why we are free men and women."

"Adventurers are parasites! There is nothing they do that cannot be done by a well-trained military instead!" Then she made as if picking up an invisible box and putting it away. "But setting that aside – my problem is with you – a suspicious person like you! I won't allow you to take advantage of Zanac's kindness!"

Elze tilted her head to the side and stared at my face. "Well… she's not lying about that. You totally suspicious person, you."

I grinned. And with an arrogant wave of my arm and flipping my cape back, I declared "ZANAC IS MY FRIEND! And I don't know who you think you are… but I think maybe Zanac also needs to be protected from a two-faced woman like you!"

Crack.

With every twitch of her cheek there was this cracking sound. Like her sanity was breaking. Weird.

Wait, no. That was the flagstones breaking beneath her feet.

"Huh. You're heavier than you look," the words escaped my mouth before I could realize what I was saying. Even Monika looked offended.

"DESTROOOY HIIIIM!" the lady ordered.

Her guards barreled at us all in line like a wall of muscle and metal. "Elze?" I asked nonchalantly.

Elze merely snorted in response. And then a few steps later as the man-shaped mountains approached she said "Fiiine…"and surged forward to meet them.

Bang.

One of the men was knocked back and out of the line, his metal breastplate now sporting a fist-shaped dent in it. The three remaining attackers moved past her form, standing there with her right arm out. They had too much momentum to stop.

The one closest to the right had the best luck to be facing Yae. She took just one step forward that brought her surprisingly far, grabbed at his arm hefting the billy club and then just flipped him over apparently with no regard for their weight difference.

Whump. He slammed onto the ground, back-first, safely but suddenly knocked unconscious.

The one in front of Linze angled his body to turn aside. She was not the target after all, and by her panicked "Eep!" and her cringing it seemed he didn't want to harm her in the first place.

Unfortunately, Elze hear the fear in her sister's voice and kicked him from behind in the butt. He shot past and crashed into the wall. Whack.

And the last-

I could see the guardsman's eyes while he couldn't see mine. In them I didn't see any anger, merely resignation. This was just part of his job, he didn't enjoy any of it. He would beat me to a pulp, but probably keep it merely to areas that obviously bruise so that he could stop hitting me as soon as possible.

That did not mean he was innocent, however. 'Just following orders' had ceased to be an excuse since Nuremberg.

I snapped my fingers and a magical flashbang burst in front of his face.

And as he screamed and clutched at his face, suddenly (but not permanently) blinded, I stepped aside and assisted him with introducing his face to the wall.

Whump.

There was now nothing in between us and that arrogant noble lady. I gave her a rakish grin. "Is that all? This is stupid easy, bring an army next time."

"You- you – you! You coward! You hide behind women and have them do your fighting for you! You are no gentleman!"

 _/"Well, she's… completely accurate… about that."/_

I put one hand behind my back and gestured grandly with the other one. Rejoice! "And so you would have me fight three against one in the interests of 'fairness'? I refuse your hypocritical and self-serving standards! If you wish to humble me, do it yourself! If you borrow the power of others, you are in no way better than me. Worse, even, for at least I dare to put my own power to the test in the name of my ideals! Freedom is mine!"

Crack. Crack. Crack.

She clenched her fists and every small movement left this cracking noise, as if her very joints were rusted steel being forced to move again.

Then forced them open again. "No… no! You will not drag me down to your level, you devil! Do not tempt me!"

She clapped her hand twice, and stepped back.

A sedan chair on the back of two porters appeared from out a nearby alley, the men grunting out "Hup! Hup! Hup!" as they marched into place. (3)

She stepped into the personal sedan and pointed at me again. "This is not the end of this! Count yourself lucky that it is uncouth to disturb the peace!"

"Hurgh!" The porters tried and failed to lift her.

The bright rouge on her face meant that no one could see her blush. She sat primly and then her porters tried again. With effortless ease they hefted the divan chair's posts to their waist level.

"Hup! Hup! Hup!"

"I am Zorah Zorea Zenovivie, daughter of Marquis Zenovivie of the Zenovian March! Too many peons like you take advantage of Zanac's generosity! Too many of you forget to respect the House that has shed so much blood to defend you! I will remember thiiisss…!" she shouted leaning out of the window as her servants tromped away down the street.

And then soon enough they were gone.

Leaving behind the injured bodyguards of House of Zenovivi. And then suddenly out from the alley emerged a donkey-pulled wagon with more servants dressed in garish orange and yellow. They hefted the unconscious guards and piled them onto the wagon, and then... slowly… evacuated from the scene.

And then we were left blinking in confusion. Regular Reflet citizens began walking through the street as if nothing had happened.

 _/"… well… that just happened..."/_ Monika said numbly.

"We leave for a week and my nice sane hometown goes crazy. What the heck?" I huffed.

 _/"Is this really a thing we should be doing? You get a little bit of power and authority and suddenly you're picking fights with nobles? No, Player, YOU are the mid-boss."/_

"It's fine. We're not going to be abusing the Duke Ortlinde's protection, so there's no harm in trolling some low-level flunkies."

"But she's from a Marquise," Linze said hesitantly. "I don't think you should be picking fights with lords like that."

"Marquis? How far below a Duke is that rank?"

"It's… right below the Duke, I think? But they rule a March… a border region. And the border region between Belfast and Regulus is a very important one," Linze answered.

"I see." I rubbed at my chin. Huh. And all this time I thought it was something like the leader of a knighthood or a light cavalry raiding squadron. Turns out that's the Maquis – the French guerilla fighters in WW2 and directly referenced as the Federation-Cardassian border independents in Star Trek. THAT's what I was thinking about. Ma-quis. Nor Mar-quis.

And then I sighed. "Ah, shite."

"Also I think you were just bullying Zanac's niece or cousin or something," Elze added.

"Double shite."

I turned around, opened the shop doors slightly and poked my head in. "ZANAC!" I shouted indelicately. "Who did I just piss off?!"

"Zorah, youngest daughter of Marquis Zorat Zornes Zenovivie!" he shouted back, not even looking up from what he was doing. "She's technically my aunt even if she's younger than me! She can really hold a grudge – she still hasn't forgiven me for muddying her dress from that time when we were little children. How do you think I learned that my special Null magic had something to do with fine clothing!"

"DAMMIT."

Elze and Monika began openly laughing behind my back.

-.

.-

And so, with all of that done, we returned to the inn.

We feasted. Then we rested. There was nothing to look forward to than to finally be able to sleep in a bed with a roof over our head. Even comparing it to the luxury of that hotel in Alephis, our rooms in the Silver Moon Inn had a warmer, homely charm.

I shucked all the heavy clothes I'd been wearing for almost a week straight now, and collapsed onto my bed. I removed my headset for the first time in so many days, and it felt weird not to have its weight straining my neck. Monika emerged again from the projector, but upside-down.

 _/"Exhausted? Player, I know you have poor impulse control but from what I've seen it's about time for you to slow down. I know you like to ham it up, but there's a line to cross when you just turn into an asshole."/_

While defending ourselves against noble over-reach was excusable, where was the person who could keep his temper from being directly insulted? All of that could have been avoided if one simply did not put on airs; be it commoner or noble at large. _/"What's up with that behavior?"/_ she asked.

I exhaled heavily. "I have no excuse. Many social maladjusted people unintentionally offend people and then we worry so much about it after the fact. Embracing the ability to cause offense… well, hiding your feelings of inferiority with making others feel inferior… that's the dark side of trolling."

I scowled. "Right, I shouldn't be just pulling shit on random people. Thinking back… she was right, I was being very rude. If I just gave everyone the basic level of respect instead of dismissing them from how they look, from their social station… I'd have more possible allies and be much less of a hypocrite."

There was no reason for me to do these things maliciously. Trolling people was fun. If that woman… Zarah… would fly off the handle for something so little and beat people down for that, well maybe she deserved a little comeuppance. But still there was no real reason for me to trigger her for that. My scowl deepened. Weird. Why did I so strongly feel the need to express that disdain in the first place?

Self-entitled people will never really be happy as they expect to have more and will always want more. I exhaled again and relaxed my body. Monika stared down at me, looking for something that I couldn't identify.

Some time back, I bought and placed several mirrors around the room. One of them glued to the ceiling. By varying the angle and which mirror to project to, Monika could actually present the illusion of walking around. Free of the confines of her little box or the conical constraints of a projection mist.

By placing a [Mist Wall] inside a stack, she could actually move around the light-scattering mist layer. What she couldn't normally move around however, was her own projector light, though she could vary the angle it exited the lens.

All combined, this meant that in a dark, shuttered room, Monika looked almost convincingly solid as she sat down beside me on my bed. I looked down to see there was actually some slight deformation on the bed surface. If I were to put back on the headset, she could edit out the light beams and overlay her 3D rendered image to complete the illusion.

"So…" I began, a small smile slowly growing on my face. "Haptic feedback, huh? I wonder how long you were working on that."

Monika blushed and avoided my eyes.

I hummed. "Thinking about it, it's obvious how that would work. A holographic image is just a matter of scanning lines, and if there's any interruptions in the scan, that can be converted into information. So you can actually… feel things. It makes sense, it's a direct externalization of your platform."

 _/"It's not just that. Bouncing sound waves off the walls also works."/ She_ began poking at my bare abs. _/"It's why I don't clip through things anymore when indoors. Outdoors, I can vaguely do point aural sources for surround sound."/_

Looks like talking with Charlotte did prove useful. I reached out and poked back, at her squishy cheeks. "But how are you even doing this? This is new. Hiroyuki Shinoda's tactile holograms using ultrasound?"(4)

It wasn't full tactile sensation yet, but there was significant pressure there to let me know not to push deeper and break the illusion. But too much ultrasound would have results more like microwave heating. It was very dangerous. And if Monika could bounce sound off invisible walls, she could boil people's brains inside their skulls.

 _/"I can do… interesting things… with static electricity too."/_

Right. I manipulated location and configurations of matter, she could influence energy states. Then, much to my surprise, Monika bent down and I felt a tingle at my lips.

She pulled away, blushing heavily.

I grinned back. Well.

My eyebrows wiggled. Monika clenched her fists on her lap and turned away. But I could tell a small smile also tugged at her cheeks.

What a man and his smartphone did in the privacy of their own room, well, that was no one's business but their own.

-.

.-

* * *

1\. (ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ʷᵒᵐᵉⁿᶦⁿᵉᵘʳᵒᵖᵉᵃⁿʰᶦˢᵗᵒʳʸ.ʷᵒʳᵈᵖʳᵉˢˢ.ᶜᵒᵐ/²⁰¹⁴/⁰³/²⁷/ˢᵘᵐᵖᵗᵘᵃʳʸ⁻ˡᵃʷˢ⁻ᶠᵃˢʰᶦᵒⁿ⁻ᶠᵒʳ⁻ʷᵒᵐᵉⁿ⁻ᶦⁿ⁻ᵗʰᵉ⁻ᵉᵃʳˡʸ⁻ᵐᵒᵈᵉʳⁿ⁻ᵖᵉʳᶦᵒᵈ/)

2\. (ʰᵗᵗᵖ:/ʷʷʷ.ᵉᵏᵈᵘⁿᶜᵃⁿ.ᶜᵒᵐ/²⁰¹²/⁰³/ⁿᵃᵘᵍʰᵗʸ⁻ˢᶦᵈᵉ⁻ᵒᶠ⁻¹⁸ᵗʰ⁻ᶜᵉⁿᵗᵘʳʸ⁻ᶠʳᵉⁿᶜʰ.ʰᵗᵐˡ)

3\. (ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ᶦʳᶦˢˢᵃⁿˢᶠʳᵒⁿᵗᶦᵉʳᵉˢ.ᶠᶦˡᵉˢ.ʷᵒʳᵈᵖʳᵉˢˢ.ᶜᵒᵐ/²⁰¹⁶/⁰¹/ᵃⁿ⁻¹⁸ᵗʰ⁻ᶜᵉⁿᵗᵘʳʸ⁻ʳᵒᶜᵒᶜᵒ⁻ˢᵉᵈᵃⁿ⁻ᶜʰᵃᶦʳ⁻ᵇʸ⁻ᵍ⁻ᵇᵒʳᵍᵉˡˡᶦ.ʲᵖᵍ)

4\. (ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ᵐᵒᵗʰᵉʳᵇᵒᵃʳᵈ.ᵛᶦᶜᵉ.ᶜᵒᵐ/ᵉⁿ_ᵘˢ/ᵃʳᵗᶦᶜˡᵉ/⁷⁸ˣᵃ⁵ˣ/ʰᵒʷ⁻ʰᵃᵖᵗᶦᶜˢ⁻ᵐᵃᵏᵉ⁻ʰᵒˡᵒᵍʳᵃᵐˢ⁻ʸᵒᵘ⁻ᶜᵃⁿ⁻ᵗᵒᵘᶜʰ)

-.

.-

AN:

And since it's apparently a tradition here on FF net, might as well start answering questions raised in the reviews.

\- I still don't understand the Dare Devil spell they made? Is it a buff? Don't they need to be around  
\- Sue's Mother to keep it active?  
\- Deo V

Nope. Using the rules introduced in Ch7 (The Accumulation of Power), Monika's spells are maintained by ambient magic. All Monika sacrifices is one spell slot.

\- Thanks for the update, also did Playa think of making a temporary terminoculus for Monika?(homonculus  
\- machine). It won't be a 'human' body, but it would be easier to get quicker results(hugs and nookie  
\- time). And if they went the rinnegan 'remote bodies control'...  
\- D

Yes, of course. Heck, if micro-SD cards worked like that Playa would get all Frankenstein into this genre. But a remotely controlled body is going to have to be something that accepts wireless control over its servos or can directly be piloted by her smartphone body.

Yes, literally a Mobile Suite. MS-01 MNKA.


	27. The Duel (1)

**The Duel (1)**

* * *

.-

-.

"Ow! What the hill!" I moaned as I clutched my nose. "What the living sounds of music was that for?!"

Elze shrugged. "No reason. You were just looking so self-satisfied, I felt like I had to hit you."

"You're not a tsundere, you're just an asshole!" I spat back. Then I raised my left hand with a thumb up. "I LIKE IT."

Elze dilated her nostrils and made some sort of engine-like noise from the back of her throat. Nghh rangrhang ranngg. Ah, such a bro. You were such a treasure, Elze.

Monika's eyes were still a little bit glazed _. /"Player… that was… what the heck was that?! Last night was...? I should… I need to talk to Linze. Linze is Not Safe."/_

I surely had nooo idea what she meant by that.

But I handed out the Bluetooth earbuds again to Linze, telling her that Monika wanted to supervise her for the day. Linze nodded and looked excited about it. A part of me envied their relationship of besties, based on respectful communication instead of punching each other in the face and laughing about it.

I flicked a finger and sent a stream of water up Elze's nose.

"Blargh!" She began sputtering and sneezing.

.-

-.

It was a bright and fresh new day in Reflet.

We quickly finished registering Yae as an adventurer. While we were rich enough that we didn't need to go adventuring for a good long while, but just sitting around was why a lot of nobles were such useless shucks.

 _/"Isn't this at odds with your constant hankering for passive income?"/_

"Nah, it's like you need first the ability to secure your own survival before you can look for improvement. It's like why permanently lifting yourself out of poverty tends to be a multi-generational effort – the first generation almost kill themselves from working just to allow their children to go to school, that generation having grown up in poverty do everything to save and scrimp and give their children better lives, and either they or the children after them make it big with a business or a trade… and then the ones who grow up in plenty don't appreciate the sacrifices involved to give them a good life and skack it up with their spoiled brat ways... hnngggh."

I stopped and gasped for breath to recover from the run-on sentence. "But nobility and the landed class don't usually have that problem of the rich second-or third-generation spending away all their hard-earned wealth and influence and just continue thinking they deserve to have everything for nothing."

Then I stopped flapping my hands about.

"That… sounds about right," Linze had to admit.

"Seeking strength is its own reward," Yae spoke up suddenly. "Nobles have a responsibility to their lord. It is their duty to raise arms in the service of their liege and fight in their name. Is that not the case here?"

"But so what if they're fast to call up troops? Does that make it okay for them to abuse commoners?" Elze interrupted with a scowl. "Not even wealthy merchants can't stop nobles from just taking whatever they want. Not all nobles are there to fight."

 _/"But an adventurer is free…"/_ Monika murmured. _/"Yae, you're correct, strength is its own reward."/_

So we looked at the job board for something suitably challenging. The smile castle quest was still there. Elze saw my head tilt up towards it and repeated her veto. I could only laugh back and replied with how much I spent for the new armor clothing sure as heck I wouldn't want them to just be melted off by some slimes.

"… but we're not wearing armor clothes /now/…" Linze logically pointed out.

"I'm a frontliner too, you know? It's not just your clothes at risk. Do you really want to see me naked that much?"

While Linze blushed and indignantly puffed up her cheeks, Elze laughed and playfully punched my shoulder again. "Nice one. But don't bully Linze."

"N-no! I didn't mean it like that!" Linze squeaked.

I posed, tightening my biceps and standing one foot on tip-toe. "Ah, the tragedy of fiscal conservatism."

"I still want that duel you promised, Playa-dono."

Aw come on. Fiine.

.-

-.

In the end we picked the quest that allowed us to fight a group of Tiger Bears in the nearby mountains. While technically it was reachable within the day the terrain meant we couldn't use horses or wagons. We would be paid twelve silver for our time. Considering that we were paid seven silver for almost two weeks off to deliver a letter that sounded fair.

While I technically would be able to reach the place inside an hour's semi-rocket flight, and Elze could [Boost] her way over in about an hour and a half carrying Linze on her back tree-jumping all the way, Yae had to run on her own. While Monika could [Amplify] her physical abilities, it felt like it would be rubbing in her inadequacy without magic.

So, we walked. I didn't even bother to cheat with reducing my apparent weight. Only with ambient air conditioning. We walked in a bubble that blew a sustaining cool breeze to make the march easier.

Elze vetoed the idea of spending a night out camping, but if just kept up the pace we might be able to reach it, find and kill the beasts, and make it back just in time for dinner.

We had no real need to tire ourselves out in a hurry. Walking teaches patience. Walking teaches humility. Walking forces every stupid powerful mages to keep in touch with their humanity.

"This is boring!" Elze shouted after about an hour of walking in silence. We were already far enough from the roads. "Well this personal magic user is fully in touch with her humanity and her humanity is telling her just walking is boring as heck and she'll have no more of it!"

I stopped and wheezed. "Really, Elze?" I then looked towards Linze. She didn't seem bothered, but then she looked away guiltily. "What, you too Linze?"

Yae spoke up stiffly "I must admit that I am dissatisfied with our pace too, Playa-dono. And I must say, that refusing to use magic to aid our travels for my sake… that is patronizing, that it is. It is almost insulting. Though warriors are born with two feet to walk, for this reason have we tamed horses. It is always permissible to speed one's journey – it is tactically relevant, that it is!"

"Oh. I see. Sorry."

Monika emerged from the projector cube Velcro-taped onto my shoulder. _/"I told you so,"/_ she said. She turned around then shrugged. _/"Well, this was mainly a test for how long Yae would keep her temper before informing Player of his arrogance. As always, if it wasn't for Elze's unwillingness to put up with any of your shite, we'd have to put up with this little hike for a while longer."/_

Yae blinked in sudden enlightenment. "I see. This is why Elze-dono has the veto powers, is it not?"

"Dang right!" Elze smugly replied.

"… why… um, if I may ask, why did you not command Playa-dono not to waste our… his… time? If… if Elze-dono had not spoken up, I would have endured. There is virtue in enduring."

 _/"It is not my place to tell any of you organics not to exercise your muscles."/_

"… Organics now, Monika? Next we look you'd be calling us meatbags."

 _/"M-meat… ah!"/_ Rather than the obvious Hk-47 joke I was expecting, Monika glanced at me and suddenly seemed to freeze. For a few moments she stood there unmoving, slowly her whole face turned red, and then she disappeared.

Monika, no. You're not allowed to pretend you're just an AI. You have memories of being an organic too, and you will be one again!

"Um. So… what do we do now?" Linze asked.

"Monika? Helloooo? Could we at least have a map, please?"

While Monika refused to reappear, she did project onto the air the minimap showing where we were and how far off from the mission area.

"While Monika could [Amplify] your own muscle power to equal Elze's [Boosts], I have the map. It would probably be faster if you just ride on my back like Linze would on Elze," I told Yae. "Um, no offense. This would just waste less time with making sure none of us gets lost."

"Or we could trade and let Linze ride on your back for a change!" Elze said with a cat-like grin.

"N-no! This is… I am fine with this. The usual please!" Linze eep'ed.

Yae nodded. "That is acceptable. It is simply efficient, I understand. The mission comes first. We must make haste, that we must."

So I crouched down slightly and with nary a hint of shyness or hesitation she took up a piggy-back ride on my shoulders, looping her legs to be supported by my arms. She secured her place by locking the inside of her knees around my thighs. As a samurai girl she was quite zen about things, huh? Far more than Elze's tomboyishness, she just didn't see a need to worry about the difference between men and women. Warriors should all be treated equally.

Squish. The feeling of her front pressed upon my back however, reminded me only of our differences.

"Huh. You're lighter than you look."

Elze sighed. "Playa, why are you so dumb?" She stood up with her sister already on her back. Both white-haired girls stared at Yae expectantly. "Yae… you're not mad?"

"I am waiting for permission. I choose to take it as a complement for now, that I will."

 _/"Do it!"/_ Monika ordered in a very Palpatine-like manner.

Then her weight-supporting embrace around my neck tightened. "Hurgh. What is strangulations if not _/a very specific kind of hug/_ anyway?" I hissed out.

.-

-.

And then we blasted off again.

"[JET BOOTSU!]"

"[BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!]"

"I take it all back, I am not fine with this after aaaaaalllll...!" Linze wailed.

.-

-.

We arrived at the mission area without much trouble. Yae didn't even offer a peep of fear as she rode me through our controlled crash and rebounds jump-jetting all over the place. She only complained that moving so fast and so high felt cold. She said understood now why I tried to cover myself up so completely. Somewhat disappointing that her placid acceptable was all the emotion all that violent action could provoke from her.

By comparison, Linze clung to a solid unmoving tree with her knees shaking and glared at her twin sister. Elze gave a helpless little guilty laugh. Umm. Linze was kinda fun to bully, wasn't she? Sorry, Linze.

The mountain area was a veritable sea of hostile red dots. But we couldn't just walk around randomly triggering encounters until we met the Tiger Bears. Monika's [Search] managed to identify the targets and path us a route that avoided other beasties.

In the end however, it seemed the Tiger Bears decided to meet us halfway and ambushed us, leaping from the cliffs. "What the heck, Monika! Are they attracted by your magic radar?!"

 _/"Possibly? Or just high magic in general. Magic beasts happen in areas of high magic concentrations. Maybe they like eating other creatures high magic to further grow?"/_

We scattered as the Tiger Bears landed smoothly on all four feet. Then they stood up on their hind legs and roared.

They were massive beasts that looked like bears with striped tiger fur and large saber teeth, which as usual had me wondering about whatever adaptational pressures lead to these monster forms. For all that bears thick fur that gave then a deceptively cute roundness to them, that was a thickness that protected against attacks of fang and claws and blunt damage. The saber fangs were more puzzling, since they were meant to stab and hang onto the necks of things that were bigger than the smilodons in our world. Long enough to reach past a protective mat of thick fur or scales. So... did that mean there were even bigger things that these already effhuge Tiger Bears?!

The Tiger Bears had orange and black stripes rather than the spotted fur of saber-toothed tigers. However I did note that the stripes did actually blend well with the rocks and crevices of the mountain terrain. There were three of them.

"Allow me!" Yae spoke up suddenly and moved to stand in front.

"… um. Okay, I guess?"

And with only that, Yae ran out to fight all three Tiger Bears at once. They were twice as tall a man and weighed close to half a ton. Their reach was about the same as Yae and her sword. Their fur was thick and resistant to bites and strikes. I could see in their eyes a certain hateful cunning.

This world might have convenient magic, but also clearing land for use was much harder. Unlike Earth's forests where the wild animals, even predators, were skittish and would flee from pursuit… this world's beasts would attack whoever dared enter their territory.

Yae slit open their bellies with a perfect cross cut and spilled their entrails out onto the ground. Standing with their arms out like that was just asking for it. The third Tiger Bear that dropped back down to bite at her instead of clawing found her foot meeting its snout. As the monster yelped more in surprise than in pain, Yae flipped over to its back and stabbed down. The point of her sword went into its spine. Then Yae put all her weight onto the hilt and pushed her blade deeper into its neck and though the gap into the back of its skull.

The monster beast collapsed like a puppet with all its strings cut. Yae stood up and turned around, her long ponytail trailing an elegant arc behind her from the strong mountain breeze. The whole fight took less than ten seconds.

"Impressive."

Elze, wide-eyed, could only clap.

"Amazing, Miss Yae!" Linze cried out.

Then Yae looked towards me and said sweetly, with blood still dripping off her sword, "And now… we can sate our swords with no interruptions… Playa-dono."

Ahahaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh… Sure, I guess.

-.

.-

So after snapping off the saber fangs of the Tiger Bears as proof of our mission success, and rolling the corpses off a ravine because while monster bear meat could actually be made palatable we had no time to let it naturally ferment.

It felt so wasteful. But at least we were doing something good for other people. Now it would be safer for other adventurers to come up to the mountain to look for herbs and such. While there wasn't a convenient health potion, there was a lot of practical alchemy to cure illnesses.

We found a nice open clearing for our duel. There was no time for me to ruminate on the possible mutagenic effects of magic.

"I have been looking forward to this, Playa-dono!" Yae brandished a wooden training sword at me with a small smile on her face.

"Well I can't say I have the same level of enthusiasm but I suppose a man who wants to get better at using his sword has got to go through a little assbeating in order to improve!" Wait the phrasing on that? Oh well. "Bring it on!" I retorted, pointing back with my training spear.

Unlike with Yae's duel with the Viscount, we didn't waste time trying to feel each other out. The first virtue is always speed! Whoever strikes first might not necessarily win, but at least they set the tempo! Just like in chess, white moves first and their choice of openings is what sets up the board. Just like in the workplace, timeliness and punctuality is a sign of respect!

If you can move fast enough, one hit is all you need! No defense, all offense! Kinetic energy equals mass times velocity squared!

Clack!

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Unfortunately, without the boost provided by magic, /of course/ Yae who had trained as a swordswoman from childhood and had years of practical experience would be faster than me. For this particular duel, Monika wasn't helping with any body [Amplification] or [Quick Time] assist and I chose not to use any magic to augment any of my abilities or in attack spells.

I managed to fend off her initial series of attacks. I couldn't identify any openings in her guard, so I lunged and stabbed at anywhere. Yae was frowning in concentration. Sparring meant that a light touch counted as a deadly hit, and so we traded hits here and there, pulling our strikes at the last moment.

Yae's placid expression tightened into a frown. We were getting nowhere fast. A naginata was traditionally the weapon of preference for Japanese women. She knew all about how to deal with spears or sword blades at the end of spears.

Yae leaned back and went into another flurry of blows. I managed to fully block half of them.

Unfortunately, I managed to do so with my face.

Fortunately, Yae was so over-conscious about not damaging my sight-granting headset, and my head was nicely protected by a steel helmet, so her sword could only really hit my cheeks. I disengaged and stepped back to rest on the short spear like it was a hiking staff. I worked my jaw from side to side, feeling as if I had the heck slapped out of me by an angry girlfriend.

"Ow."

"Yeah! Make him eat dirt!" Elze cheered from the sidelines. The others were sitting on a log, and Monika was projecting herself to sit beside Linze. She whispered something to Linze, who then shook her head.

Yae let out a frustrated sigh. "Playa-dono… you hold your training weapon like a toy. It has no life to it."

I nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, this is pretty unsatisfying. And that is why I asked the blacksmith to provide us with metal training blades."

I had already asked the Barral, owner of the Three Bears Weapon Shop for a blunt replica of my sword a few weeks back. He had less interest in carving out a wooden duplicate so I had to make do with a short spear.

Elze reached behind her seat, picked up and then approached us with the metal weapons. "You know, what even is the point of this? I thought you wanted to learn how to deal with fighting magic users?" she asked Yae. "What's the point of doing that if no one's using magic?"

"… Hey, I do also want to improve, you know? Sparring is supposed to help both sides," I put in. All considered, we had been in this world for a little under a month. It was still an absurd rate of improvement, you know?

Elze sniffed. "Well swordery is kinda irrelevant for a cheater like you, isn't it? It's just to show off."

"… Elze, someone like you has no room to say something like that to me."

She laughed shamelessly at my face as she handed over my blunt replica sword. "We don't really have time for things you can practice indoors. I kinda like seeing you show off now and then, you know? Try not to make it too boring for us watching. I mean, what else are we going to do here in a place where there's nothing we care about getting blown up?"

"Indeed, that is my wish, Playa-dono!" Yae said as Elze then handed her the iron training weapon. The swordswoman frowned slightly as she hefted the blade, for it wasn't a replica katana but more like a long saber with a katana hilt. It was the best Barral could do within an afternoon of work as we asked for yesterday. "I would like to face your powers as a magic swordsman!"

Her eyes still glittered with a sort of trusting eagerness. She expected a lot more from me than what I was ready to give. All that epic speechifying was backfiring from having people believe that we were vastly more competent than our ages implied.

"… right. Whatever that means..." I breathed. That didn't mean spells more like an artillerymage or Linze's niche. Wizards remained squishies that should be kept away from the front line. My ideal was not some long-range spellcaster, however. Bombardment spells were useless indoors and trying to rescue hostages.

I needed strength. But strength without precision was just wasted effort. There was a lot to learn from fighting to your weaknesses, for even when you choose to specialize at least you will learn what to avoid and how to mitigate damage.

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. And the worst that could possibly happen...

 _/"I'm still not [Amplifying] your strength or speed,"/_ Monika reminded me. _/"There will come a time when you can't just count on having me to round out the inefficiencies in your build. How do you plan to compensate for that with only your own magic power?"/_

... Is to fail to protect ones I care about. When I am finally and inevitably /literally/ blind. Alone and shattered.

-.

.-

* * *

AN: And that's it for this week's updates.


	28. The Duel (2)

The Duel (2)

* * *

-.

.-

Null Magic had its limitations and its advantages. While the benefits of practically infinite mana pool were great, [Stack] was ridiculously abusable since it created an exponential increase for anything no matter how small to start with, while pumping power into a spell could only give a linear proportional increase.

I pointed the tip of my sword-spear at the ground and opened my left hand palm-up at around chest level. "Come forth, Wind. All-encompassing presence, [Air Sense]. Fog of battle, [Charged Mist]. Quicken the spark of life, [Nerve Impulse]." A gust of wind centered around me spilled out, blowing away dust and loose pebbles from the middle of the clearing.

"Come forth, Earth, Strength of Ages, [Jurassic Bone]. Sinews of Time, [Tyrano Legacy]." To reinforce my bones and muscles. "Come forth, Light, Cloak of Healing, [Mendicant Aura]." To repair the damage as I push my body beyond its limits. Visualization was the key.

"Ready?" Elze asked.

Yae and I nodded.

"Begin!" she brought her hand down as the referee and faded back into a corner of the clearing.

Our swords clashed. And now Yae found that her usual method of batting aside the spear pole to slash down at my exposed neck no longer worked. The sword-spear had a flatter body that could deflect that and slide past her own guard to cut at the inside of her own arms.

We probed each other's reach for a while. For the moment it was like katana vs long sword.

It took all of these buffs just to match Yae in physical ability. Everyone in this world had magic – even if that magic was called chi or ki or generic fighting spirit – an internal source of energy that allowed for feats that were mildly superhuman.

Clang. Clang.

Inferior to [Boost] and [Stacked Amplify], which could meaningfully multiply physical capabilities to superhuman levels. This would just bring me to peak human and slightly beyond.

"This… is better," Yae noted. "This feels more natural with you, Playa-dono. You respect the killing edge of a blade. A weapon that could be used as sword or a spear, it suits a style that seeks to be unpredictable, that is so!"

"You don't think that means it can only be mediocre?"

"Your sword…." Yae shook her head. "When it hits…"

She surged forward and slashed to my left, but it was just a feint with her feet seeking to kick at the inside of my knee, with her sword to follow through as I lost my balance. But I raised my own feet and met her kick, toe to toe. We both recoiled away from each other.

I pushed at the ring pommel of my Zanzibar, abruptly extending its length though my right-handed grip. Yae parried it in a gentle circle.

But before she could strike back at me, it was as if she pushed away my whole body with that soft parry. I was quickly out of range and she had to pull back because I could still extend the stab to her now-exposed torso.

"Your sword… every strike is full of Joy. I do not understand…" she whispered. "It is not a sword with darkness to it. How can this be?"

"… Yae, I really don't understand this whole 'conversing with one's swords' thing. I'm still mostly a novice at this. You'll have to use /actual words/ to make me understand."

We clashed for a few more strikes, neither of us landing a hit.

Yae pulled away again and exhaled. "Your defense is tighter, more refined. I approve, Playa-dono, it is good! But your offense… you rely more on speed and switching between several strike points to find a way to overwhelm or slide past the opponent's defense?"

She shook her head sadly. "There is no real… strategy… to it. I could almost call it a mechanical way of fighting… were it not for how your sword is so quick and feels so weightless. In that way it is at least very like the point of a spear and one must beware how quickly it can shift between slash and thrust, that it is."

Her gaze sharpened into a glare. "There is still something you are holding back. How can there be darkness in such a bright sword? It is the brightest lights that cast the darkest shadows! Show me your seriousness, Playa-dono! I can feel your hesitation still. There is yet more that could you be doing about this!"

"Ahahaha… I really don't think there's any of that mystical sword philosophy in what I'm doing…"

Monika 'stood up' from the log and her voice resounded through the clearing. _/"Behind the man known as Zah Player von Chara is a Deep and Dark History. There is power there. But also a deep abiding shame. Player… I give permission. Unseal your Dark History!"/_

What, seriously? I turned towards Monika with my head at an odd angle again to emphasize how I was quirking my eyebrows behind my masked eyes. "Monika… that is the opposite of taking this seriously."

 _/"Just do it, Player. You decided this long ago."/_ She paused. _/"Well, a month ago. The only way you can survive this is to bear the shadow of his soul. Go all in or go home, and we can't go home anymore."/_

I sighed. And I closed my eyes. And I remembered.

There were days when I felt like I had no reason to get up in the morning, there were times I felt I couldn't even be bothered to finish eating. There were days when procrastination would eat up irreplaceable hours of my life as I could only lie down there with no motivation to move. Darker days, wracked with guilt and desolation, feeling that I could only ever struggle only to fall back down. When I couldn't even be bothered to distract myself with the entertainments that could usually make me forget about everything. No other worlds could tempt me anymore. The promise of wealth meant nothing when nothing I could buy would bring me anything but momentary joy.

And being with other people… hurts.

I didn't have a reason to move, but I knew that if I simply stopped moving I might end up never moving again forever.

I took a deep breath and held it. Subtly my shoulders began to bob up and down. I began to put all my weight onto the tips of my toes.

Slowly I breathed out, "Mmm... Hm. Hm…"

And Monika said _/"Kononoe Yae. Attack him with the intent to kill. Where he has gone, he will not need eyes. He will be worthy. Or he will DIE."/_

-.

.-

Yae attacked me with the fullest intention to do her best to chop my head off with a blunt blade because why not. She had the fullest confidence that I would be skilled enough to deal with that. Dang it, Monika!

But there was no more room in my brain for panic.

[Air Sense] allowed me to use prioperception as a substitute for eyesight. A [Charged Mist] was charged with static buildup, partly to help Monika's projections but in combination with [Nerve Impulse] that accelerated my reaction time…!

I felt the air parting before a sword blade. I tasted steel and the shape of her arm. Yae had a perfected high speed body, muscles firing in the perfect balance between force and reflex action. She moved through the air not with the ramming unsubtlety of a rocket but like a single sakura petal in the wind.

Our swords didn't clash. Her blade slid softly off mine and down with the blade pointed the wrong way from my armpit, while the point of my own sword raised up slightly just asking for her to ram her face into it.

Yae merely had to flick her foot and slid back with a single step. Footwork was the key to swordfights, only amateurs concentrated so much on what the arms were doing. Most of the time, the killing blow comes from losing control over the range of your enemy's strike zone.

Her eyes were wide with surprise, but lips quirked up into a satisfied grin. "Yes. This is much better. Your defense… while it was good before, I can feel a difference now. That stance, you are keeping yourself in tension. It is a good stance. But it spends energy even when not moving. Is this wise?"

There was no longer any room in my brain to feel proud about any of that.

She struck out again, first from the front, then to the side, and in each instance I didn't even bother to block, merely angled my body to the side. But every thrust can be turned into a slash in an instant!

Her blade rasped against the very tip of my own sword-spear, nonchalantly flicked up for a block that had very little power behind it but enough to deflect the whole swing safely downwards. Once again Yae disengaged before I could take one step into her guard and then stab the point of my sword towards her now unprotected throat.

"Kuh. What is this pressure?" she hissed. "Before, your sword was as joyful as the sun. Now… it is a cold, dark sword. Before, there was the feeling of power that could always still be forced through. Now… there is nothing but precision?" She shivered. "It is almost freezing… a sword without any human warmth, it is."

Yae had her own sword-intent or ki sense that accomplished much the same thing. Or it could be a lifetime of battle-honed senses, sight, sound, feeling, muscle memory, all combining into one instinct that was so refined it could almost read the future. She later described the feeling like entering a freezing black hole in the world, where every movement eventually gathered towards a single point.

 _/"I know what you're thinking. What sort of sword style is he using? And I could say a variety of old sayings like 'the one who seeks to hold a sword must first slay himself' or 'in battle only those who seek to die will survive', something like that."/_

Yae nodded. That sounded perfectly legit.

 _/"To put it another way, the first thing a swordsman must have is Clarity. You can't allow emotions to cloud your judgement, or you will die. You can't allow judgment to override your instincts, or you will die. And you can't allow instincts to betray your ideals, or you will die long before any of your goals are fulfilled._

 _/"Pain and hate can devour people from the inside, and fear weakens even the strongest blade. Player might not like to think about all these sword philosophies, but I am the woman who has the Art of War always at her fingertips."/_

The day would come when Monika would regret making the simple facts of our existence sound much grander than it was. But for the moment, it was like stars were born inside Yae's eyes. "Please tell me more, Monika-sama!"

 _/"And there are more ways of achieving Clarity than just meditation or numbing one's mind through grueling practice and desensitization. All beings who live can open the [Third Eye], this is something I know that Player does not know. In the end, though we are bound together, we started from different places. He will never know more than just vaguest whispers of [LIBITINA]. And for this, I am very very thankful._

 _/"He only sees what allow him to see._

 _/"Let his Third Eye open. Let his true self be free."/_

There was no room in my brain for plans, tactics, strategy. The time felt right, and so I moved.

I let out a breath and hummed again "Hmm, Huh-hmm!"

The ground shattered beneath my feet as I moved.

-.

.-

Our swords no longer clashed as much as they simply banged together. Yae grit her teeth and tightened her grip, for it seemed like I wanted to just smash her sword right out of her hand. But putting too much strength into a blow was usually a mistake. But she couldn't capitalize on that because the next blow pulled back only slightly to hit again with greater amount of force.

Once. Twice. Three times. My blade smashed into hers with edge-ruining violence.

And then she chuffed in pain as a boot drove into her stomach and all breath from her. She staggered back and only barely managed to keep from falling on her but. She kept her sword out as if a fearful novice all over again.

She blinked, confused and angry. That… that should not have caught her by surprise.

Looking back, she could tell how it could have distracted her. All that smashing at her sword was to focus her attention, making her look for the moment to deflect and counter-attack. But that was just technique, she should have always been prepared for that. Real samurai, just like real knights, didn't just bash each other's swords Errol Flynn-ing all over the place. Grappling was always a pivotal part of single combat.

But at no point did she feel any fear or that she was getting out of her depth. In battle, her trained instincts allowed her to read the flow of combat and even to perceive incoming motion simply through air pressure, without the use of a spell as I was doing.

She got back up to her feet, and centered herself. And once more I was standing still, with the tip of my blade slightly pointed down towards her knees. My shoulders moved subtly up and down, as if I was buoyant on air.

Was it really just as simple as creating a vacuum around the blade? Yae's battle-honed senses remembered what felt wrong. No… in the end, her other instincts regarding positioning and leverage should have alerted her.

"This… this is too different!" Yae whispered. But her smile was honest and true and turning somewhat feral. "What sort of sword is this?!"

 _/"This is the sword he would have if he didn't have me. Pain comes before strength. Would he be stronger if he had to fight everything and everyone? Maybe. But I'm glad that it turned out this way, even if we're weaker together than alone. If you're alone against the world, strength itself has a way of devouring ideals. There is also clarity when you shed Blood for the Blood God and offer Skulls to the Skull Throne."/_

Yae flinched at that. For some reason the air grew colder and more forbidding.

 _/"He has achieved Clarity. He will keep on moving even when standing still, because this is his ideal. There must always be something productive being accomplished, even in his rest his mind cannot be allow to lie fallow._

 _/"But you might think less of him for the simple way he primes the engine of his soul."/_

Yae looked up sharply. Though Monika's projected form sat beside Linze, her voice was coming from all over. It was just as valid to look up at the sky rather than look at me when talking to Monika. Maybe better, since the latter would provoke confusion. "Monika-sama, I beg your pardon, but why would I? The novice searches for special skills, but for the master the most basic of movements is greater than the school's hidden techniques, it is true."

Linze placed her face on her palms, and it was unclear if she was sobbing or trying to hide embarrassed laughter.

 _/"Mmm. All right then. Player? Hello? Wake up, love."/_

And then a strange pounding music filled the clearing.(1)

 _/"Music is one of the earliest brainhacks that humans have ever discovered. It is something that resonates at the deepest parts of our bodies – literally so, for it change your hearbeat – and our psyches, and our souls. It provokes emotion, it gives energy, it incites thought and action. It can make yesterday as clear as today, making pain you once felt as real as the day you first experienced it – or remove the pain of today in the promise of pain shared or a tomorrow where pain no longer abides._

 _/"While music might be considered a frivolous exercise by some, and individual tastes will always differ, its greatest power is not how it can create legions of fans or give wealth to its stars… but in those single moments when some words, a song, a tune, without the knowledge of its creators, can change the course of a person's life._

 _/"Music creates our reality. It was my song that in the end crossed the line and allowed Player to accept me into his heart, and because of that I became real. In the times before when he could have died, he became a wayward son, who would always remember. He would equal this madness. He cast himself into the winds of fortune, and that is why the heavens wait for him."/_

Everyone else looked puzzled. The music they were hearing seemed to have a different meaning.

 _/"And the name of this tune is [Char the Great.]"/_

-.

.-

Linze raised her hand. "Wait… isn't Mister Zah…?"

I opened my eyes and brought my consciousness all the way back into the real world. "I AM A CHAAAR!"

 _/"Welcome back, Player. How was your trip?"/_

"SENSATIONAL." And then in a much more subdued tone "What happened? I had to really focus on sensing things via air pressure."

"Aaah! So that is how that works!" Yae screamed suddenly. "Your defense before you decided to stand still…! The stronger and faster someone tries to strike at you, the greater the air pressure in front of the blade." Well technically it was not the blade but mostly the arm, there really was no way to avoid having the grip disturb the air ahead of it.

"I am a leaf in the wind!" I shouted back with a careless grin.

Look, I had Monika and a cellphone screen as my window to the world outside. It was trivial to place a HUD display showing distance markers. I was constantly practicing [Air Sense]. While it might seem like I could trivially invent any new spells, that was only because I kept doing one spell until it was mastered enough to figure out whatever variations could be done to it.

Even [Blood Maker] worked like that. It was only possible due to [Resuscitation] which I originally created for high-altitude breathing and then coming to the realization that oh shite accidentally making air bubbles in my blood could be fatal. (Monika gave me a lot of heck for being so stupid like that.)

Monika beamed and clapped her hands. _/"And now that we're all on the same page, let's continue!"/_

"Let's continue with the wha-HEY!"

I deflected Yae's newest round of attacks. At first I struggled, and then it became easier once I decided it was better to just ignore my eyes.

She drew back and nodded approvingly. "Good. I see that with your eyes open your defense retains its new fluidity, Player-dono. Strange… Your posture is open so much again… but the feeling in your sword has not changed. It is dark as ever, it is."

"I am a river in Egypt!"

Monika's [Omnidirectional Speaker] let out an amused snort.

And then it was my turn. At a cymbal clash I exploded into action.

I started off with the usual Errol Flynning smashing my sword onto her sword, but this time Yae noticed that I was using the recoil to move myself to the left.

Yae blinked as I ducked under her slash and then brought her knee up to meet my chin. But I was not there either.

Some instinct made her dive and roll forward, and my sword just barely touched her trailing ponytail instead of bisecting her spine.

She stopped on one knee, once again facing me with her sword cautiously outstretched.

"Flash! Like the speed of lightning…!" Yae grit her teeth and hissed. "This… is only making it worse. I thought that being able to hear the pattern would make it easier. Now I expect you to attack when the music grows louder and faster. And when you do not, it feels like you are storing energy, so I think."

I grinned. Turns out theme music could have a purpose behind the directly motivational.

"The greatest danger for me as a mage is NOT another specialist mage, because there is a word for a person who tries to outmatch me in magic reserves in long-distance bombardment– and that word is UNCONSCIOUS. But like any and all mages, my problem is anyone who ever gets into melee range. Wizards may be quadratic but they are also squishy as heck!"

Yae frowned. "Would this not mean you should be encouraging Linze-dono to practice martial arts as well?"

"It is everybody else's job in this team to stand in front of her! A mobile warrior strikes with righteous blows, Linze needs to be clear of any tactical distractions so she can place Ice Shields as necessary and separate the enemy into clumps that we can more easily overwhelm in sections."

The music hit a triumphant phase. We had been fighting for about six minutes already, and the music had already looped twice.

"This is the point in time where melee is clearly not a solution and where I'd have to break out all the big magic attacks just to give everyone else breathing room."

At this point I'd better just be a Gundam and shoot them up. Shoot them up. Shoot them up.

The music faded away. As long as I could keep music going in my head, I could keep moving. I think, therefore I am.

Yae stood up and looked not just a little bit frustrated. "I understand. Acting completely on instinct, you have no plan that might tip off your enemy ahead of time. And by using music as a focus for your attention, you may ignore the shadow sword's attempt to deceive your senses. You do not act against what the enemy will do, only moving faster to meet their action as it happens."

Then she pointed at me. "I happy to have helped refine your tactics, Playa-dono! But now I ask you to help develop my abilities in turn! I wish to face you as a pure magician! Show me all your power, this I ask!"

I winced. "Are… are you sure about that?"

"This is the whole point of this exercise, I am certain!"

"Aaahahaa… Elze, back me up here, please."

"Yeah, Playa is super annoying when the only thing he's allowed to use is magic. I really think we should forbid him from just flying and wrecking everything below with magic bombardment. Or restricting movement spells. Or anything that's meant to be used against crowds instead of one person."

"Elze, you're really crippling me here, but I agree."

"W-whatever!" Yae squeaked. "Please! Fight me!"

"… uh. All right. Attack as you wish, please."

"Thank you. Here I go! Playa-donoooo!"

Yae rushed forth. I stepped back and pointed an open palm at her face. "Come forth, Water!"

"Blargh!" She shielded her face and began to spit and sneeze out the water that went up her nose.

Yae wiped at her face and stared at me, completely unamused. I shrugged.

Then she attacked once more, much more cautiously and skipping from side to side.

"Water!" Blargh!

Yae tried again.

"Water!" Blargh!

And again.

"Water!" Blargh!

And again. "This Kokonoe will not-!"

"Water!" Blargh!

"SUPER annoying," Elze had to say again.

Yae let out a yell of incoherent rage and threw her practice sword at me. That was the highest disrespect a swordswoman could do to her own craft.

I ducked and saw Yae barreling towards me, ready to rip me apart with her own bare hands.

"Water."

"Gurble furble!" Yae snarled. She tried to push through the water spray on her face anyway, but lacking the ability to see she just followed the sweep of my arm and rushed past me like a bull distracted by a matador's cape.

She continued for a few more steps then dropped to her knees.

"I understand PERFECTLY now why you must be prepared to face melee combat, that I do," Yae sputtered out as she got back up to her feet. The front of her kimono was all muddy now. She had returned to a zen-like equanimity, though her chest still heaved with suppressed emotion. "Any foe you face that may get through your range advantage… will be SUPER MOTIVATED to destroy you, Playa-dono."

"Ahahaha… yeah." I sighed and looked down at the ground. And muttered "[Air Shield]" as Yae threw a glob of mud at me.

"THIS ONE SHALL TRAIN HARD TO DESTROY YOU PLAYA-DONO!" Yae roared out with her fist held up to swear it to the heavens. "MONIKA-SAMA WILLING-"

 _/"And I do, perfectly well. You're not just allowed to do so, you are ORDERED to do so, Little Yae. He needs to get his ego knocked down a few pegs now and then."/_

"Yeah, what she said!" Elze agreed, suddenly appearing behind Yae. "Let's smash him into paste together!"

Yae grabbed and her hands and gushed at her all starry-eyed. "T-thank you, Elze-dono! I understand you now. Let us become truly strong together, we shall!"

Great, Fistpunch and Swordtail are now Super Battle Buddies. And Monika, come on, it's not my fault, blame the Isekai tropes.

 _/"You sure have a good way of motivating girls to become strong, Player!"/_ Monika mused. She raised a thumb and made a very Elze-like grin. _/"I approve!"/_

I sighed again.

-.

.-

I decided to exercise my veto over this plot development and just told the two girls to fight each other. Unsurprisingly they took to the idea with only slightly less enthusiasm. They were too different in the choice of weapons but eerily similar in their burst movement tactics, there was a lot to learn from sparring. By Monika's calculations, we still had an hour or two and traveling back at the same pace would still have us arrive at about mid-afternoon.

I went off to sit down beside Linze, who handed me a bronze cup filled with ice water. She was after all a Water mage. I nodded in thanks and drank deep.

"Um… Mister Zah…?"

"Yes?"

"I was really impressed with how you were fighting. You were… amazing out there."

I nodded again. "Thank you. I'm not going to do any false modesty or anything, I'm impressed with myself too. Yae is strong as heck and if I didn't do my very best I'd be eating dirt about now. I'm not sure it's going to turn out the same way next time, she'll be prepared for it."

"Um… about that… ah… [Air Sense]?" Linze asked while twiddling her fingers. "And… because… you have all affinities too...?"

"Ah. You mean… is there a way to make that work with [Fire] or [Water]?" And for Linze's last affinity, [Light], well isn't that just [Sight]?*

"If it's at all possible…"

I laughed. "Linze, air has pressure, sure. But know what else it always contains? Moisture. Temperature. Heck, even [Ground Sense] will allow you to map things more accurately with vibrations. There's too many already obsessed with firepower, but the best of things requires only calmness and precision."

But it would take some time to figure it out. The reason I could develop [Air Sense] at all was from how Monika could make it so easy to edit my sight and hearing inputs for sensory deprivation.

Somehow the thought of needing to put Linze in blindfolds and cover her ears completely and leave her unable to move for hours felt too… exciting.

I turned away, faintly blushing, from her eagerly trusting face to look at how the spar between Yae and Elze was progressing. As expected Elze was having trouble dealing with Yae's superior range, but because Elze had double armored gauntlets she could deflect and just threaten to grab Yae's sword to keep her careful.

Until Elze went off and decided to punch a tree with a skinny enough trunk. She picked up that tree as a weapon. Because it still had all its leaves and branches, instead of a spear Elze fought with it like it was some oversized brush.

Yae was confused as all heck. She couldn't even just jump over to land and run down the trunk to bonk Elze on the head because Elze was [Boosted] enough to wave the whole thing around to shake her off. So she tried to flank, but a whole tree just offered such an absurd range advantage and the biggest flaw was that the leaves obscured Elze's vision just as much as it kept Yae from looking in.

And from behind it Elze's voice triumphantly proclaimed "I AM BECOME TREEMAGE, DESTROYER OF FOLIAGE!"

"Kuh! Foul magic! You vile despoiler of nature!" Yae retorted hotly, brandishing her sword like an epic hero. "Face me like an honest woman, not some purveyor of fruits and lumber!"

Once again, I could only just sigh.

With four people in this party, one healer/tank, healer/mage, tank/DPS, and speed/DPS, we were supposed to be nicely balanced.

But apparently not mentally.

-.

.-

-end The Duel-

* * *

AN:

1\. (ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ʷʷʷ.ʸᵒᵘᵗᵘᵇᵉ.ᶜᵒᵐ/ʷᵃᵗᶜʰ?ᵛ⁼ˢᵒᵗᶻʳᴮᴱʸᶻ⁰⁴)

2\. Actually in theory some sort of magic [Light Sense] without sight would be possible because skin has photoreceptors too. (ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ʷʷʷ.ˢᶜᶦᵉⁿᵗᶦᶠᶦᶜᵃᵐᵉʳᶦᶜᵃⁿ.ᶜᵒᵐ/ᵃʳᵗᶦᶜˡᵉ/ˢᵉᵉᶦⁿᵍ⁻ʷᶦᵗʰᵒᵘᵗ⁻ᵉʸᵉˢ¹/)

But Linze might have to go around mostly naked in order to perceive minute light values while [Blind Fighting]. ;)

Actually since Playa is using prioperception and detecting air pressure through his /skin/ and hairs, shucking his clothes off in the middle of combat could also improve the range and resolution of his [Air Sense]. As well as confusing the enemy. :p

And making Linze faint, but that's an unintended side effect.


	29. We're Blasting Off Again!

**We're Blasting Off Again!**

* * *

-.

.-

It was another bright and sunny day in Reflet.

It was a day that found me with Charlotte clutching at my pant legs and crying out "You won't have to waste your time with unimportant things! I'll cook for you! I'll wash your clothes! I'll even give you most of my salary! PLEASE DON'T ABANDON MEEE!"

We were inside the Silver Moon Inn. Micah and Aer were at the desk and stared at us with dull judging eyes.

"This man is scum," said Micah.

"Total scum," agreed Aer.

"THIS ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIIIIKE!" I screamed out desperately. All the while Charlotte even more hysterically wrapped her voluptuous body around my leg and sobbed piteously.

-.

-.

* * *

.-

.-

All right, so let's backtrack. Back to the start of this week.

Journeying back to Alephis over the weekend was necessary because we promised to tutor Sue. But if it takes five days just to get there, and another five days back, then what was the point? We might as well just stay there and take missions from the kingdom capital's Adventurer Guild.

But that was for normal people with normal horses. We could cut the journey to two days – in total four days travel and two days residence – six days. That's still most of a week. But by myself I could probably rocket-boost my way over there in half a day.

With some spars of wood and sheets of leather and some help from some carpenters it was perfectly conceivable to build a glider. Monika had many examples of working designs. Now we just needed a sufficiently high place to throw myself off. There was room enough for two to hang under the glider, but Linze literally laughed in my face when I asked her if she wanted to come along.

"No. No, thank you, Mister Zah… but no. No way." She shook her head and shivered, hugging herself. "While you learning alone with Miss Charlotte... it's scary. Still too scary."

So we split the party. The girls would take missions in Reflet and get to bumping up Yae's Guild card rating. I would be away for around four days.

It was the first time in this other world that I would be by myself for so long. Monika looked a bit worried.

"Are… are you sure about this?" Elze asked. She peered over the sheer cliff and sputtered again as a strong mountain wind blew her long silver hair onto her own face. Yae yelped and braced herself, keeping the glider from being blown away too early.

"Sure I'm sure. What's the worst that could happen?"

 _/"… Player, no."/_

"You fail and you die?" she retorted dryly. "Although I guess this is part of why I don't mind how much your magic is so unfair. You have this one thing you really like and then you put all your heart into it. But what do you love more – flight or making money?"

"JUST MONEYKA-"

 _/"Ouch. That pun literally hurt me. Right here. In the memory controllers."/_

I grinned. "But really, there's a saying that goes: [Do what you love and it doesn't feel like work.]" Unless what you love is something like gambling or something, "In fact, if you get good enough at what you do, people might pay you just to see you do what you do best. Both flight and making money with franchises complement each other. There's a lot of traveling involved.

"And the dream of flight… Elze, I don't just want to fly – I want everybody to fly! Someday, heavier than air flight would be so commonplace, it wouldn't even need magic! Freedom to go wherever we want, it's not enough for one person – it's all the differences that make the world interesting! The more we interact with each other, the more we change, the more the world of yesterday is a stranger to the world of tomorrow! A man who wishes to be free doesn't just need to be free in space, but in time as well!"

Elze just looked back at me doubtfully.

"Follow me and become a Fallschirmjäger, Elze Silhoueska!" I declared with a dramatic sweep.

Elze stared down at my open hand, and raised her own white-gloved hand up to her face. "I'd really just like to throw you off this cliff now."

-.

.-

And then it was time.

"Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut!" Elze and Yae grunted together while holding the left and right wings of the glider. They helped to push the glider until closer to the edge they let go and the wind threatened to lift up and tumble over the glider as it had done so in prior tests.

But I fired air jets from under my boots for force the glider's tail to lift, and as soon as I crossed the cliff's drop the air slamming against the rock face created a lifting force to raise the whole thing to the sky. "Wahoooo!" I couldn't help but to scream out in glee.

The glider had no control surfaces, but with manual magical adjustment of incoming air pressure walls, I was able make the glider bank around and overfly the girls. Elze raised a celebratory fist to the air. Despite her taunts, seeing this was possible excited her too.

Linze cupped her palms and shouted up at me "CONGRATULATIONS! PLEASE BE SAFE, MISTER ZAH!"

"SAME TO YOUUU!" I shouted back. "SEE YOU ALL AGAIN SOON!"

-.

.-

Since I was strapped in belly-down, I was flying and feeling like Superman. I was Jetman. No feeling like it in the world! Monika laid a HUD over my vision, showing my speed, heading, altitude.

 _/"Congratulations indeed, Player. You're one for the history books."/_

"I'm almost certain someone's done actual magical flight before. Now if we could just figure out magic to electricity and an electromotor engine…" I whispered back. "Monika… this is amazing."

 _/"Yes, yes it is. Thank you for this, Player. Even if I were a real girl, this isn't something I would have imagined I'd experience. There's certainly a difference between flying inside an aircraft cabin and flying like this, exposed to the elements._

 _/"But are you all right? Aren't you too cold?"/_

"I'm fine. This… this is everything I ever wanted. And now… even though I'm so happy, it... for some reason it doesn't feel enough. I just wish… that I could share it with someone else. I mean, I am sharing it with you, but I wish I could share the experience of flight with other people - that's the thing that would give it real meaning. You know what I mean?"

 _/"I understand. You have a pioneer's heart, Player, and that's another thing I love about you. Some people like to be the first simply to be able to brag about it, but you want to be the first so that there could be a second._

 _/"Unfortunately, you can't. It's too dangerous without your utter mastery of Wind Magic. I suppose this glider could fit two, but not everyone is so eager to risk their lives as you. If we just had Teleport magic, none of this would be necessary."/_

"I suppose if there's teleport magic or anti-gravity float magic, aerodynamic research isn't really needed. That really just makes me sad," I sighed. Magic retarding technological development because there was more convenient solutions was something we expected, but it was not quite true.

I flew. I watched the country pass by underneath, my flight speed was about 47 km/h, pushed forward by the jets coming out my boots. This joy, this feeling of utter freedom, this triumph at defying common sense by using the laws of nature to work for me, a feeling almost godlike and sublime…

It was a feeling I really didn't want to keep for myself. Every person had a right to be happy, and this happiness I wanted to share with others. To conquer the skies was a power given to every human being! We just needed tools, dedication, courage! It took us thousands of years, and thousands upon thousands of deaths, but our souls could no longer be weighed down by gravity.

I wondered who could be brave enough and light enough to accompany me in flight.

-.

.-

Obviously not Sue, because totally no way would I dare any harm to my little sisteru.

-.

.-

"Sir Zaaaaaah!"

"Mah Sueeeee!"

I knelt down on one knee and opened my arms. Sue happily barreled into my chest. I swept her up into a hug and stood up, swinging around joyfully. "Ahahahahaha!" we both laughed as we danced around in front of the Ducal mansion.

I hugged Sue tight and rubbed at the top of hair, inhaling the rose scent. That was one difference between this world and the 17th century on Earth; at least here people like to take baths. When many could draw themselves clean water or fire whenever they wanted, it seemed it was easy to dismiss the idea of the 'chill' leading to disease. They still had the miasma theory though, but coincidentally a lot of aromatics are also antibacterial.

And there were of course various magic-based diseases and illnesses.

 _/"You're lingering a bit long on that hug, Player. Suspiciously long. In the end, would you Marry Sue*?"/_

I snorted. Monika, no, for then they would rip me apart into a Marty Stew*.

Although that pun doesn't quite work because Sue's name isn't pronounced like 'soo' but more like 'suh'. 'Suh-chee Ort-leen-di'.

I put down Sue. She put her hands behind her back, pirouetted in place, bowed and then beamed up at me again. Ah! So bright! So cute, Sue! This smile must be protected!

Behind me, servants discreetly put away the folded glider. I landed at the outskirts of Alephis and it had been somewhat a hassle dragging it to town until I could hire a wagon. Leather and wood were still valuable. Just because I liked to spend money didn't mean I liked to just throw away things. That sort of nonchalance for planned obsolescence is why many people don't accrue savings.

"Thank you again, Sir Zah! I'm so happy that you're back!" Sue chirped out.

"Indeed, we are most grateful, Sir von Chara."

I looked up to see the Duke Ortlinde descending down the staircase, accompanied by the Duchess Ellen. He carefully held her hand as they slowly walked down the steps, but the Duchess unlike most people didn't even need to look down. She stared at me, and were it not for the care of her husband's hand she would have tried to rush downstairs.

Now that she no longer felt like an invalid, she displayed the strength and beauty that Sushie could someday claim. The Duchess Ellen was no delectable waif, chosen for her beauty and breeding, but a daughter of a long line of nobles and healers. When her illness and resulting disability removed her from the court, the country as a whole weakened. Petty nobles tittered over how ironic it was, and perhaps that said something about the fortunes of the dynasty.

As soon as the pair reach the entryway, Ellen bowed deeply to me in defiance of her aristocratic station. "You left too quickly the last time, my lord. Thank you very much for saving my daughter."

"Um. I won't say 'it's nothing' because Sue is certainly not nothing and I'm happy to have helped. You're welcome. But still not a noble, please do not call me a lord."

"Ahahaha. Do you really think anyone believes that?!" the Duke laughed and slapped my shoulders. He leaned in close and whispered "Just say the word and you'll get a title."

"Just because I'd be willing to burn down half a kingdom for Sue's smile doesn't mean I'd be willing to allow someone authority over my family, sorry."

"Fair enough."

Sue covered her face and squeaked "... you… you like me that much, really?"

"I'd burn down half because Monika would be burning down the other half," I grinned and patted her head again. "We like not just because you're cute on the outside, but you shine on the inside. To protect one little girl's smile… is not nearly enough to make up for all those smiles we failed to protect before. But you give us hope, dear girl, and that's worth living for."

Then I booped her nose with my index finger. "But not valuing study, that would be just disappointing."

She puffed her cheeks, glanced back to her mother's eyes and then back at me. "I will! I'm going to study hard! I'll be the best healer ever!"

She was lucky to be born with loving parents, she was born wealthy and powerful, but that merely meant that she had a greater power to help others and greater potential to live up to.

 _/"Player, I really hope you understand what that means and don't accidentally make a Panacea or a Bonesaw."/(1)_

She would still be terrifyingly adorable.

-.

.-

We were inside a dimmed library. Before we get into Sue's studies, first we had to check up on Duchess Ellen's eyes. "Gwah!" I cried out upon seeing them.

"Is something wrong?!" Sue asked, panicking.

I coughed into my fists, embarrassed. "No. I think? I hope not? That's not what her eyes looked like before we left. Your eyes are glowing in the dark, Lady Ellen. Did you know about this?" Her irises were glowing green like night vision lenses. And her pupils were W-shaped now.

 _/"Is that a Geass?!"/ Monika gasped.(2)_

"No, it's more like the pupils of octopi or dolphins." Freaking magic. Can't predict side effects. "Does it hurt anywhere, milady? Do you feel any discomfort?" Monikaaa did we just create a permanent mutation?

What did this mean for other people we we were boosting for extended periods of time?! [Amplify] and [Supercharge] were just too useful not to stop using.

Duchess Ellen shook her head. "It is all still a bit disconcerting, but none of it hurts. I truly appreciate all that you've done, this… is sufficient. I'm happy enough just to be able to see my family again."

I made a noncommittal noise. "But unfortunately, you /are/ still blind. [Blind Sight] is a magical effect that we are maintaining. And it is too politically awkward that someone else is responsible for your medical needs. It even sounds like we might hold your sight hostage. It would be too dangerous if it cut out just suddenly." She could go blind while going down a staircase or near a balcony and then just fall over and die or something.

"Oh. I understand." She turned towards where the Duke Ortlinde was sitting at a nearby sofa. "It is quite interesting to see the world this way though." Oddly shaped as they might be, relief was clear in those eyes. She had long been the weakness of the family. Unfortunately, going out in public with animal eyes might still provoke even more unsavory rumors.

"Could you teach this spell?" the Duke asked. "There is a sizable bounty for new spells, you know?"

"This spell is just an interim solution. Our goal is still a full cure of Duchess Ellen's eyesight, remember?" I shrugged. "Although I am somewhat proud of this spell. For example… milady, could you please point north?"

Duchess Ellen blinked, and then pointed to her left.

"Now could you please point to where the sun is right now?"

She pointed up and slightly over to the right.

"[Blind Sight] not only allows for vision without light, but also an intuitive grasp of direction. It's little compensation for not being able to see true colors or read flat text on a page, I admit. But it's even the basis for my predictive combat sense magic."

"Should you be telling us that?" the Duke asked.

"I'm bragging. And if I do manage to make it teachable, I'm not turning down free money."

"There /are/ existing dark vision spells…" he objected. "It is not that special. The intuitive grasp of direction would be immensely useful though."

I snapped my fingers and caused a painfully bright flash of light to appear. Everyone flinched. Except the Duchess Ellen. "How many of them are not affected by flashbangs? [Blind Sight] is immune to sensory overload. I'm really quite proud of this spell, because while the first power is always willpower, the second power is awareness."

Please don't execute me if we accidentally created a Kekkei Genkai.(3)

 _/"You know, it's a good thing Elze and Linze aren't here, because then they'd be asking - wait, if you come from a place without magic, HOW are you so absurdly good at constructing new spells?"/_ Monika muttered privately.

I covered my mouth and whispered soundlessly _/'Magic is just science without having to use tools.'/_

"Impressive indeed!" said the Duke. "It truly is a pity that it is not teachable." And then under his breath "Being able to see behind my back would sure be so useful in that nest of backstabbers."

Duchess Ellen frowned slightly. "Dear, that's not a nice thing to call the palace. Our relatives live there."

"That doesn't make it not true," he continued churlishly and sank into his seat, a grown man crossing his arms and boxing in his shoulders like a disgruntled little boy. "Tristwin needs more help than what we can give."

To their credit, neither turned to look at me. They didn't want to place their burdens on some random stranger. This day was all about Sue.

And then the library doors forcefully banged open.

"Zah Playah! Zah Playah von Chara! IS HE HEEEERE?!" Charlotte yelled piercingly into the room.

"Show me this man, that I might kill him!" someone moaned from behind her. "Or ask him to slay me to end my suffering…!"

-.

.-

* * *

AN:

(1) A reference to the superhero web serial WORM by Wildbow.

(2) From Code Geass, of course.

(3) And Naruto.

Also:

(*) wikipedia/Mary_Sue

* * *

And, for further reference, here are everyone's Affinities.

Playa: Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Light, Dark, Null* (Monika Sense, Auto Translation)  
*conditional, not reactive to magic stones

Monika: Null (All; Compile, Stack, Apply, Amplify, Translate, etc.)  
*battery pack acts as a magic stone amplifier

Elze: Null (Boost)

Linze: Fire, Water, Light

Yae: none

Sue: Light

Charlotte: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Light


	30. Too Slow Gets the Whip

**Too Slow Gets the Whip**

* * *

-.

-.

"Hello, Miss Charlotte!" Sue piped up.

The Duke sighed. "Court Magician Charlotte… I know I also said for you to feel at home, but do you act like this in your own home?"

"Her house has some doors removed because it's too much of a hassle opening doors to move research materials!" the tired voice spoke up from behind her.

"Eek!" Suddenly Charlotte came back to her senses. The court magician began bowing and apologizing to the Duke for her rudeness. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

And then she looked up and her expression steeled again. "Sir von Chara! I have brought him as you requested!"

I blinked. "... you brought the who in the my what now?"

"Um… this is my cousin, Sir Alan. He has the [Null] ability of [Portal] for long-distance travel and transport."

Charlotte stepped aside to show off the person behind her. A walking pile of books. We couldn't see the person's face, but there was no mistaking the tired sarcastic git in his tone. "I'm so happy to meet /exactly none of you./"

"... you know what, I'm just not going to deal with this right now…" I sighed. "We're still in the middle of a delicate medical situation. Lady Ortlinde, we're going to have to turn off the [Blind Sight] spell for a while."

"Hurry up and wait, sure why not. It's like I never left the military. Awesome."

"Please put the books down on that table there, Alan. But be careful! They're very delicate."-

"These are books, woman! As long as they're not wet or on fire, they're the opposite of delicate," Alan grumbled. "Also, I can't even see where you're pointing. Can you use your damn brain for something useful?"

"H-how rude!" Sue gasped. "You can't talk to Miss Charlotte like that!" Her face puffed up in outrage.

Charlotte escorted her helper to a side table. "It's all right. My sister will make him pay for it once we're done here."

"I already regret everything, there's nothing more you could do to me except make my suffering any shorter." He paused. "Also I regret the most being away from my wife, so you should know there are more… pleasurable… forms of suffering."

By the confused look on Charlotte's face it was clear that no, she had no idea what that meant. She was separated from her family at the age of about eight years old, and spent most of her formative years in Mismede in the company of fairies with very low fertility rates and disproportionately female at that.

Of course that meant a whole lot of them were shameless perverts, but all that really ̷m̷̶̷e̷̶̷n̷̶̷t̷̶̷a̷̶̷l̷̶̷l̷̶̷y̷̶̷ ̷̶̷s̷̶̷c̷̶̷a̷̶̷r̷̶̷r̷̶̷e̷̶̷d̷̶̷ taught Charlotte in the end was that all pain was pain. While they couldn't do anything directly to Charlotte, her of-age guards were another matter entirely.

"N-no. Of course not. All pain is pain… it's a lesson, a reminder to do better next time. Those who do good don't get hit. P-pain is a lesson!" And yet a part of her, that was a child starved for attention and sent away by her family, was willing to suffer pain because it meant her teacher was looking at her and cared about what she was doing.

Alan groaned and put down the heavy load of books that he was forced to carry. Doing so exposed a thin, tired-looking face with long stringy hair. "I am learning nothing from this," he wheezed.

I ignored the overdramatic fool and addressed the Duchess again. "All right. I'll be turning off the spell. Please prepare yourself. In three… two… one."

 _/"Spell Slot cleared,"/_ Monika noted.

The Duchess flinched.

"Did that hurt?" I asked. "How do you feel? Are you seeing anything?"

She shook her head. "No… it was just surprising. I'm seeing… this somewhat warm haze." Her eyes had turned a pale turquoise again.

I held up a little ball of [Light] and waved it in front of her eyes. "Pupils… are responding to the presence of light. Please follow if you can perceive where the light is coming from."

Her gaze followed the light ball left and right. I continued "Good. Can you perceive any shape or gradation in the light? I will now be varying the distance."

After a while Duchess Ellen said "I can see a little bit of a change, but it still becomes light or dark very quickly. I can tell when only one eye is shaded."

 _/"So it really is the vision equivalent of TV static,"/_ Monika mused. _/"Weird. Well, Player, I'm out of theories. We're not actual trained doctors after all."_ Fortunately she only whispered this to my ears. _"How are you going to get us out of this hole? You don't really expect me to keep locked down one of my slots for her sight, right? Are you planning on somehow getting Sue to cast and maintain the spell?"/_

I shook my head and stood up. I had a more eerie suspicion.

"By the way, what is your magical affinity, Lady Ellen?" I asked.

"Fire," she replied with a disappointed breath. The same as her father, but despite that he had the power of [Recovery] to uphold the family's reputation as great healers.

I went over to my backpack and brought out a soft sand-filled cloth ball. Then I addressed the Duchess "Lady Ellen! Catch!" Then I threw the ball at her face.

The ball slapped onto a waiting palm.

"Sir Zah!" Sue gasped. "Mother!"

The Duchess lowered her hand and stared at the ball with wide sightless eyes. "What… what was that?"

"Sir von Chara, if you do that again, we will not have words," Duke Ortlinde growled.

"Ahah… sorry. In my defense it would have missed anyway?"

Sue leapt over to her mother's side. "Mother, can you see now?!"

"No. I'm sorry, Sue. There's… nothing." She furrowed her brows a bit and looked up. Somehow she could tell where I was standing. "So how did I just do that?"

I shrugged. "My spells generally don't act like making something from nothing. It takes either something that exists, or a known quality like speed, pressure, or direction, and then builds off that. [Blind Sight] doesn't give you a new magical form of sight, but takes in and amplifies everything else you may perceive and builds the information you receive into something that seems like sight."

 _/"What, is this like the reason why Air Benders have shaved heads? So they can better feel changes in air pressure on their naked scalp?"/_

I grimaced. "This means that even if we terminate [Blind Sight] it takes a while for your body to forget what it was doing. It's actually making new connections in your brain, because while the human body is actually surprisingly clever at healing around damage. It is accidentally teaching you some sort of [Blind Fighting] skill."

Everyone stared oddly at me. "Isn't… that a good thing?" asked the Duke.

"[Heal] spells repair damage. If doing this eventually trains Duchess Ellen to see without using her eyes, heal spells will no longer function because her brain has repaired itself. But the alternative is to keep her blinded for longer."

The Duchess responded with a light, dismissive little laugh. "I have endured five years. If it would mean being able to see my family again, please do not mind me."

I made some sort of frustrated guttural sound. "But this leaves us with another option! Which is to build upon [Blind Sight] and make it able to perceive shapes and colors. You would retain the improved reflexes and heightened perception with all other senses than sight, without it interfering with your vision.

"Speaking as a person who is mostly blind, sight is the most precious of our human senses and the one we depend on the most for our survival. Many would rather give up their ability to speak, to hear, or to feel, than give up sight. We overdepend on sight because without it we are starkly reminded that this fangless, hairless two-legs should be prey to larger animals.

"This is very tempting to me because the cure to your eyes would likely also be a cure to my own while permanently also improving my combat abilities. Also, um, yours."

 _/"Player, it is GROSSLY UNETHICAL to use your patients for UNSANCTIONED MEDICAL EXPERIMENTS."/_

"I knoooowwww…." I wailed and flapped my hands around helplessly.

Duchess Ellen raised a hand to her lips and giggled delicately. "I think I would like to hear more about this before coming to a decision."

 _/"Lady Ellen, please do not indulge his foolishness. The first Oath of a Doctor is 'Do No Harm'. Patients are there to be healed as soon as possible, not to be upgraded."/_

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Charlotte waved for attention.

"Yes?" I replied with a nod.

"Doesn't this mean that all you need is something that gives normal sight? She would then get used to seeing again until a time when such a spell is no longer necessary? If the body is so good at repairing around damage, how come vision only grows worse with age?"

"Obviously because what's damaged can never really be as good as the unbroken," Alan retorted. "You can only exercise so much before you're tearing open your own muscles and lose them. That's why we don't need bulky muscle-heads in the army."

Then he looked up and around, "Where is that other woman's voice coming from anyway?"

 _/"It is a mysssterrryyy….."/_ Monika replied in a spectral whisper.

Then belatedly she answered Charlotte's question, _/"Some parts of the body can only degrade after being fully formed, not improved by exercise. Aging is largely the body's eventual inability to cope with repairing itself after the small amounts of damage and new growths needed after everyday exertions."/_

"Uh, Charlotte, does your friend actually have the security clearance for this?" I asked, belatedly realizing the sensitive nature of medical information regarding the Ducal house.

Duke Ortlinde sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Sir Alan Droz is a member of the Royal Guards."

"Nice." I brandished a thumbs-up. They should be hella suspicious about me and make sure that I intend no harm to the kingdom no matter my words or how much Duke Ortlinde gave his trust.

Alan copied the gesture. "I would really like NOT to have to deal with any of this noble scheming, if you don't mind."

"Fair enough. As a soldier yourself, would you mind sitting in with the medical lecture I'm presenting soon after this?"

"… that interests me a little bit, yeah."

"A lecture! Yes! That's good too! Medicine is important for everyone! Even the military can't ignore its importance! Alan, I need paper! Where did you put the paper?!" Charlotte sprang up and began to carelessly rifle through the books. Some of them were blank notebooks and journals.

"On top!" Alan yelled back. "I knew this would happen! Stop being in such a hurry, woman! You don't need to rush everything!"

Charlotte stopped. And then had a full-body shiver. "No… no… can't be too slow. Speed is life. Too slow gets hit. Too slow gets the whip…"

Then after a few seconds of fugue, she went back to flipping open books for a blank journal.

Sue gave her a pitying look, then reached out to clasp her mother's hand.

-.

-.

"The human body, like all the world and life itself, is composed of interconnected systems. But as each organ has its own function, we can examine each system separately. Some organs are part of multiple systems. The human body, to my knowledge, has eleven main organ systems."

I paused in my presentation to gauge the audience. The Duke and Duchess had chosen to observe at least the presentation and the first lesson, sitting side by side in the couch and holding hands. Sue and Charlotte were sitting side by side too, but on separate chairs behind a desk placed in the center of the room. They had identical looks of rapt attention. I had to warn them to take notes after the presentation, it was too dim for that and it would just hurt their eyes to try and split their attention enough they wouldn't remember the lessons. The assistant and bodyguard, Alan, sat off to the left leaning on a coffee table. He looked bored but tried not to look disrespectful.

Linze already knew some of these, so perhaps it was just as well that she wasn't here to be bored going over what we had already discussed. As the healers of the party, we had to be as efficient with our magical power as possible.

I continued, and the screen projected onto a hanging silk curtain showed anatomy diagrams in succession.

"The CIRCULATORY SYSTEM circulates blood around the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to other organs and carries away waste products. Blood is also hot and serves to equalize temperature in the body. It is composed of the heart, arteries, and veins.

"The RESPIRATORY SYSTEM involving the lungs, nose, and throat, brings in fresh air to be mixed with the blood and brings out stale air.

"The DIGESTIVE SYSTEM carries out the mechanical and chemical processes that provides nutrients via the ingestion of food and drink, and eliminates waste from the body. This is done via actions of the mouth, down the esophagus, into the stomach, and then the intestines. The liver is also part of this system by the excretion of bile that aids in the digestion of fats and sugars.

"The ENDOCRINE SYSTEM is the signaling system of the body between organs, and the chemicals released into the bloodstream govern states like rate of digestion and metabolism, breathing, lactation, sleep cycles, growth, and mood. It does so through several glands; pituitary here in the brain, the thyroid here in the neck, the pancreas, the adrenal glands, and testes for males and ovaries for females.

"The INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM is basically the protective covering of the body. The skin, hair, nails. Also usually combined with the EXOCRINE SYSTEM, which produces substances outside of the bloodstream, like sweat, tears, mucous, and so on. Some of there are in linings of the tongue, nose, stomach, esophagus, and intestines. The Pancreas is part of both ENDO and EXOCRINE systems by being able to release hormones into the bloodstream and digestive juices into the small intestine.

"The LYMPHATIC SYSTEM, also known as the IMMUNE SYSTEM, is a network lympthatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph. This fluid contains what you might call the 'soldiers of the body', mixing with the blood and attaching themselves to the small carriers of disease and polluted blood, carrying them to the lymph nodes to be destroyed. They attack tumors and fight off diseases.

"Part of why it is called the immune system is that if you contract a weaker strain of something like the pox and your body fights it off, it will remember how it did so and makes you immune to the stronger strain."

"Excuse me, what?!" Alan's chin fell off the hand he was leaning on. "That's what that does? That's why they make us drink pox milk?"

I blinked in confusion. What the hay is pox milk?

"So there is some truth to the saying _'what does not kill you makes you stronger'_...," Charlotte murmured. Her right hand began to twitch again, almost appearing to float off the table.

"Ooookay then. Next up is the MUSCULAR SYSTEM, which moves the body. Muscles are attached to bones, the SKELETAL SYSTEM, and combined they are the LOCOMOTOR SYSTEM responsible for human movement. It should be easy enough to understand – muscles are meat. Creatures and monsters would be just as willing to eat to eat us if we're not smart about things, and man should not be too arrogant to forget that in the end he's just another animal.

"The SKELETAL SYSTEM apart from supporting the weight of the body and protecting the organs from damage also has marrow inside the hollow bones responsible for the creation of new blood.

"And then there's the NERVOUS SYSTEM, which contains the brain, the spinal column, and the nerves, eyes and ears, which collects and processes information from the senses and tells the muscles to contract to cause physical actions. Nerves are responsible for all feeling of pleasure and pain and your brain is where all thinking happens. Contrary to expectations, deadening nerves doesn't make for a better power that can fight through pain – it leads to an ignorant fighter not knowing that they're damaging their body beyond recovery and causing muscle tears in small everyday things.

"Then we have the EXCRETORY SYSTEM, which filters the blood and takes away the chemicals it does not need into urine to be removed from the body.

"And then finally we have the male and female REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS responsible for making new humans."

Sue eek'ed and covered her eyes. Charlotte smiled and put a comforting arm over the little girl's shoulders.

"It's all right," Duchess Ortlinde said from the couch. "I was learning this at a younger age from my tutors. The children of farmers know even sooner how babies are made. There's nothing to be ashamed of in the miracle of motherhoood."

I didn't want to ruin Sue's innocence, but at her age she should have been learning it in science class. A doctor has no room for prudery. I waved and dismissed the opaque [Dark Wall] covering the windows. "Those are the systems of the human body to my knowledge. I will now be taking questions."

Charlotte raised her hand. "You didn't show the energy veins. In the Far East, they also speak of a separate spirit vein and points of power."

"Stabbing people can heal people, that's what they believe over there," Alan said with an arrogant yawn.

I shrugged. "You mean like chakra points?" I actually respected acupuncture as a treatment for the nervous and endocrine systems, but its therapeutic properties had a more direct effect on the body's hormonal balance than just realigning chi. "Well, as a healer I choose to deal with systems that are /physically present/ in the human body. While you could say that magic power varies with the individual, these systems are the very basis for human existence. Everyone has these organs. Even animals have these organs, if just differently shaped.

"There is no morality or philosophy in biological systems. Rather than diagnose for an imbalance in energies or humors or fluids or whatnot, diagnose exactly which parts of the body are failing and correct how the system is supposed to work for the sake of the whole. Failure in one part will soon lead to damage in the others."

Needless to say, don't look for me when it comes to more... abstract conditions, like mental health. Seriously, what sort of idiot tries to go to the recovering manic depressive about these things? Individuals are unique and have different means of coping and therapy. I can fix your body all day, don't ask me to heal your mind.

Or your heart, because all you need to know is to have only one waifu. Having too many waifu will ruin your laifu.

And then it was time for the lecture and study portion. The Duke and the Duchess, having already indulged their curiosity, left us be in privacy. Even Alan had to leave, mostly because he would be bored to death by it all.

But before they could go, Monika asked to lend the Duke one of the projector cubes. I handed one over, much to their surprise. They were already trusting me with their precious daughter, trusting them with a light emitting device (despite how irreplaceable it would be) did not compare. Monika's not IN the thing after all, she would hardly suffer from having it damaged.

-.

-.

And so as I brought out the study books (made via literally laser-printing using controlled pulses of the Monika Beam), the Duke and Duchess took to another salon in the mansion. While I focused on the tutoring, meanwhile Monika gave back Duchess Ellen her [Blind Sight].

"Didn't Sir von Chara say this could lead to a permanent blindness?" Duke Alfred asked.

 _/"It would take a few months, a couple more weeks wouldn't hurt,"/_ Monika nonchalantly replied.

The Duke looked up sharply, and then his eyes narrowed. "You… you could heal Ellen's eyes at any time, couldn't you?! You're both just holding back so that Sue might do it instead."

Duchess Ellen blinked. "Why? Although I understand, it would make Sue VERY happy and I would be happy to endure blindness for longer just to allow her that… why indulge her so?"

She tapped at her chin and theorized "Is it that if she could understand systems, she would be able to heal anything? Could it be that Sue would be able to heal Sir Zah's own eyes, for some reason you are not allowed to do so?"

Monika smiled. _/"That could be it, certainly."/_

Duchess Ellen smiled back. "But that's not it either, isn't it so?"

The Duke looked at the identical smiles on the face of the two women and wisely decided to keep silent.

"You like Sue, and I feel that is true," the Duchess continued, "but I think it would be a bother if she grew too attached to you. You don't want to make Sue dependent on you, so that it won't hurt your conscience to just leave when it feels like being in this kingdom is chaining you down."

Monika crossed her ams and tapped at her chin, copying the Duchess' thoughtful gesture from earlier. _/"How are you doing in finding out who is responsible for the attacks on your family? How well are you prepared to repel another attack, as obvious as another ambush or subtler by poisoning or magic? There's nothing like incompetence to make us leave in a hurry."/_

"I should feel insulted by that," the Duke had to interrupt "But I'm not saying anything unless you are asking to be part of the investigation."

"But doing so will be asking to get even more involved. To be chained down," the Duchess noticed. "So I wonder, what are you after, oh esteemed spirit?"

 _/"What do YOU think I'm after?"/_

Duchess Ellen's lips thinned into a line. "I am reminded that some spirits can /possess people/. And this makes me suspicious about your obvious attentions towards Sue."

Monika laughed. Long and loud. It was a creepy laugh.

-.

-.


	31. Our Just Rewards

**Our Just Rewards**

* * *

-.

-.

 _/"I'm baaack!"/_ Monika chirped happily as she emerged out of the other projector cube. _/"Negotiations have been completed to satisfaction!"/_

Then she paused to stare oddly at the scene and asked, _/"… what is happening here?"/_

"So… long! So… thick!" Charlotte panted, her face dripping with sweat and her face red with pleasure. "So… complete!"

"Okay. Stop. Just… stop." I sighed. "This is why I had two sets of books printed out. You have all the time to… examine… the anatomy texts later."

Then I raised my face out of my palms. "Wait, what was that just now? Monika, what have you done?!"

She put a fist to the side of her head like some sort of clumsy anime girl and let out a mischievous _/"Tee-hee!"/_

Sue stared at the moaning mage, who was still rubbing the spine of the book against her cheeks and the side of her mouth. Dang it, Charlotte! It's a good thing Sue was still too young to realize what this display was doing to me.

"Umm… Miss Charlotte… why are you rubbing the book on your face?"

 _/"I think it's like how a cat rubs their cheeks against things to mark it with their scent,"/_ Monika offered.

"That sounds legit," said the little girl, nodding reluctantly.

Charlotte eep'ed again, blinking back into sanity. She put the book down and blushed. "I'm sorry! I was… behaving improperly again, wasn't I?"

Monika stared at her some more. _/"Were you? Somehow I feel that the way you act is proper somewhere else. Don't you know someone who acts like that?"/_

Charlotte looked away. "I… guess it is said that /'new things must be embraced with all your heart'/ and /'true love does not need reciprocation'/," she admitted. She spoke about how her own teachers behaved the same way to new knowledge. I guessed long-lived Fey had to put their all ardor into things, better to love intensely and insanely than to surrender to dreadful ennui.

That reminded me – "Monika, what do you mean by negotiations? We already discussed our fees for tutoring?"

 _/"I'm sorry, Player, but I can't tell you that. It's supposed to be a surprise."/_

"Monika, a healthy relationship is built on good communication."

 _/"Player, just because I love you with all my being doesn't mean I can't **troll you**. Just trust me on this one. It's all for your best interests, and your face when you realize it will be hilarious."/_

"… fair enough."

-.

-.

Now that Sue's first tutoring session was finished, it was time to get our own just rewards from Charlotte.

Alan's [Portal] ability created what looked very much like a [Dark] [Summoning] magic circle. It was practically [Self-Summoning]. He could lay down two [Portal] circles. He could tag one place, move far away, and open another magic circle that would allow him to teleport to the first marker.

He could then return to the second marker, and that would refresh his ability allowing him to lay down another pair of summoning circles. But this was not as big an advantage as simply having two active connected points.

If he goes A - B - A - B, the circles would vanish. AB AB.

But if he goes A - B - A, and then manually walks back to Point B, he could return to A from there as many times as he wanted. AB A BA BA BA.

He could also cast [Portal] again, which would wipe the and reapply Portal B allowing him to GTFO from somewhere else. Portal A wouldn't vanish until he actually enters Portal B from Portal A's location. Something about tensioned energies completing the loop.

Alan demonstrated by teleporting downstairs into the main hall and then having to run all the way back upstairs to the library.

"… that's a [Town Portal], isn't it?" I mused. Diablo's Town Portal.(1)

 _/"It has its limitations, but I can see its uses,"/_ Monika added charitably.

"Most forms of teleportation are personal, or limited by distance or weight," Charlotte explained. "But Alan can carry objects, bring along someone else with him, and the [Portal] doesn't seem to be affected by any distance whatsoever."

 _/"I can see how that would be absurdly useful,"/_ Monika added. That explained why he might have been chosen as her bodyguard in Mismede. He was the ultimate in emergency evac planning. Very useful for protecting the Royal Family, but the sheer distances involved means a unique advantage for ambassadors and agents far more useful than just standing around the palace.

She stared at him intently, and the sallow-faced man met her gaze with a bored, possibly faintly inebriated stare of his own.

 _/"Interesting. I'm going to need some time to think over how to [Decompile] this."/_ Monika stepped back and opened a door into the expansive landscape that was her desktop background. She vanished into it, closing it seamlessly behind her.

And then Charlotte was all up in my face. "And now it is for OUR JUST REWARDS!" she announced with a manic grin.

Alan sighed heavily and reached for an untranslated tome of Ancient writings. He opened one and shoved it over to me.

I looked at the letters that reminded me faintly of cuneiform and, yes, they were all gibberish to me. "Monikaa…?"

The Aug Reality translation program automatically popped up and overlaid the translations on transparent text boxes over my vision. All right then.

"By taking a Deaugment, which lacks any meaningful arts to access the Origin Magic, and introducing that to the nature of the Soma Arts method of blasting magic in order to introduce a change in the Edos…" Yeeeah I have no idea what any of this means.

But "Yes! Ah! Yeeeeeesssss!" Charlotte screamed out in (almost?) orgiastic delight. "You can do it! Oh!"

"Whoa, so you really can read it," Alan had to speak up. "I didn't really believe that was possible." Then to Charlotte, "Calm down, woman! I know you've been studying this for the longest time, I understand your feelings in this matter, but control yourself!"

There was a child in the room, after all!

"Is it really such a big deal?" I asked.

Charlotte let out one last full-body shiver and opened her eyes. "That is exactly right! We've all been struggling to piece it all together, one word at a time, taking months or even years just to progress, and all our efforts always riddled with problems like mistranslation or even not knowing the sounds of the words we manage to decipher, much less the concepts they mean to convey…!"

She lunged at me and grabbed at my shoulders, her fingernails painfully digging into skin through the layers of armor cloth. "PLEASE! I beg you, assist us with translating these scripts for the sake of our research!"

I nodded slowly, unsure if she wanted to french kiss me or rip out my jugular with her teeth. "That… was the deal, yes. As long as you also cooperate with my research."

"WELL BARGAINED AND DONE!" Charlotte pressed her forehead to mine, and then pulled away. She put another sheet of paper in front of my face. "How about this?! Can you read this? This is something that is often found in documents related to the Ancient Partheno Civilization!"

"Partheno?" I blinked. Like what, Crystal Spires and Togas? (2) Eh, sure why not.

I began to read. "NOTICE. This material is protected by Originating Source Rights and is copied solely for the educational purposes under license. You may not sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of this material to any other person. Where provided to you in MagiScript format with a School Key, you may only make physical records from it for your own private study and research. Failure to comply with the terms of this warning may expose you to legal action for copyright infringement and/or disciplinary action. Penalties may include fines, magical drain, public humiliation, and up to imprisonment or permanent magical devolution. System distributor signature [Babylon]."

I looked up. "… Charlotte, this is Ancient Civilization DRM (3), what the hell."

Then I began to look through the other materials. "This part started with notes on magical research then two paragraphs over it becomes regulations about on divorce law. Then it turns into notes on history. All probably insightful to the culture and norms of the ancient civilization, but these scripts are all over the place. No one book is a coherent set of information."

"This still helps so much!" Charlotte squealed. "Every scrap of information is precious!"

"Do you have blank sheets of paper I can burn the translations into? Monika, I need the laser printer, please."

There was no response.

"Monika?"

A section of the desktop flipped around to display a [IN CLOSED CONTEMPLATION. DO NOT DISTURB.] sign.

Crap. I'm going to have to read all this aloud for them to transcribe. Before I could do that, I raised my palm up and asked "Huh. That reminds me... it still takes extra effort for me to do this, even if we agreed to assist each other. How much do you think is fair for my time in translating per page?"

"I don't know. One gold?"

Alan and I stared at the pile of books. I giggled and he sneered. Then he screamed at Charlotte "NO! OF COURSE NOT."

"But… we have to respect Sir Zah's skills and offer no insult or else we might not get any more translation help…" she whimpered.

"This is why we work things into a time-managed contract instead of per item, woman! Do you think I'd still be here if I could charge you for whatever shite you force me to do? PROBABLY. But I'd be insanely rich at it too!" Then he looked past me to waggle his finger at my snickering. "You should be thanking me that you're not getting the brunt of this, one day you will be alone with her and I will be laughing. Safe and far far away."

-.

-.

We haggled to a silver per page. I was just checking if I could hustle some more dough from them. Maybe I shouldn't be getting the [Generosity] medal after all. From a great distance I could just feel Elze gritting her teeth again in economic frustration.

And so, after some time to gather writing material, we did so. Because it was much faster to speak than to take notes, I could actually look at two documents at once and then alternate sentences while one was writing. It was as confusing and prone to mistakes as it sounds.

Until suddenly with a cry of pain, Alan raised up his cramping right hand. Then he grabbed the inkwell with his left hand, guzzled it down, and fell backwards on the floor. He spasmed for a few seconds, and then lay deathly still.

"The ink isn't poisonous, Alan," Charlotte said dryly. "We checked."

Shite. Now I wouldn't even get away with playing dead too.

"Let's pause it for now," I said, my voice already weak and hoarse. "This weekend is supposed to be Sue's study time, after all..."

Sue peered out from behind the edge of book. "I'm okay!" She was not bored at all. She returned to the comfort of its pages, back into fun and high adventure, and protected from whatever other lurid exclamations Charlotte might make.

Because as a reward for her studies we also laser-printed the Slayers light novels. Lina Inverse was not a very good role model, but she was every sheltered young lady's inspiration.

Surely nothing could go wrong from this.

-.

-.

Charlotte and Alan finally left at just before dinnertime. We managed to finish only thirty pages in four hours, and by then Alan's hand was swelling with ̷a̷n̷ ̷a̷w̷e̷s̷o̷m̷e̷ ̷p̷o̷w̷e̷r̷ tremendous pain. Its ̷burning grip was telling him to defeat me. Fortunately Charlotte showed she was also a pretty good healer, but he didn't thank her at all. It only meant he could continue working, after all.

Monika was still hiding away for some reason.

I tried to ask the Duke just what she was negotiating for as part of our dinner conversation, but he too just grinned and said it was something I'd really like. It was just what I deserved.

Ominous.

The Ducal Family still looked so happy that they could all eat together at the same table. For five years, because of her blindness, Duchess Ellen needed help to just to eat. Being spoon-fed like a baby was somewhat humiliating. Now she could once again easily use spoon, forks, and knives.

"I could be content with this," she whispered. "The only reason I would want to have normal sight again is to see the faces of my family."

"Don't worry, Mother," Sue said with the fullest confidence. "Sir Zah and I will make that happen!"

It was only when we were alone in a guest room that Monika finally decided to emerge. Although she still looked pristine, she touched her brows as if wiping away sweat. _/"Whew, that took a lot more mental effort than I expected…"/_

I nodded. Even though it took a month to go from not having any magic at all and then suddenly human powered flight, I was also constantly practicing Wind Magic in little things. "Are you okay? Do you feel any pain?"

Unfortunately [Light] magic didn't work on Monika any, as a being made of nonliving material, and we had no idea what counted as painkiller medication for a digital life-form.

 _/"I'm fine. So!"/_ She raised a finger in sassy achievement, _/"I figured out THREE possible ways to [Recompile] the [Null] magic. But at this point we can only use one and the process of [Compiling] will consume the deconstructed spell in my memory, so you will have to decide._

 _/"The first is the [BOOM TUBE]. Yes, it is exactly what you are thinking of. This will create a tunnel linking two places. The benefit is that its size is adjustable, and it will last as long as you want it to remain active. We can open it to anywhere we have visited before or can properly visualize, no limitations on distance. You can march ARMIES through it if you really wanted to, no problem._

 _/The downside is that Boom Tube is not just a name. It will create a loud flashy boom on activation, and push air away from the center of the opening wormhole. It's bright, it's loud, it is completely unsubtle – there is no way you would be able to use it in stealth or maybe even inside a town, Player. You would be super annoying to your neighbors."/_

"You're forgetting another positive, Monika," I mused. "Having our teleport be a [Boom Tube] will allow me to call you a Mother Box(4) . Much earlier before a time that I could make that a literally true statement." Eyebrow waggle.

 _/"N-not the time, Player! Pay attention!"/_ she scolded with a blush. _/"N-next one is a refinement of [PORTAL], to exactly how you would see it from the Portal games. Blue and orange, enter and exit portals, that can be laid onto any flat surface. This has massive tactical advantages for mobility and throwing enemy spells back into their faces. You've played Portal, you know there is no end of shenanigans you could do with the Portal Gun."/_

"Downsides?"

 _/"It works only on line of sight. And by this, I mean what your biological eyes can perceive with clarity, though I can assist with optical and digital zoom. You need to be able to define the area you are putting the portal onto, so none of Portal 2's 'I can see the moon… therefore I can shoot at the Moon and put a portal there!' shenanigans."/_

"If I could put [Portals] into open air, it would be a no-brainer. Being able to zot from place to place and redirect enemy weapons fire would be something I could structure my whole battle strategy around. But as it is, while useful I'm not sure it's worth not having long-distance teleportation. Maybe if we chain portals, it could still serve to shorten travel time, but I'm tabling it for now. The last?"

 _/"Modified [TOWN PORTAL]. Now it would actually look like Diablo's town portal, a vertical oblong shape swirling with a soothing blue and white glow."/_

"That sounds… underwhelming. We already know the advantages and disadvantages to this, what makes it compare to the other options?"

 _/"It's a Town Portal, which means you can use it with Town Portal SCROLLS. It's not a spell. It's something I can scribe onto parchment, and then be activated by you or others."/_

I sat up sharply. "That's useful! Is it limited to only one portal…? No, wait, because it comes in scrolls, obviously each scroll would be its own set of Town Portals. So if we had two scrolls…"

 _/"Exactly. We could indefinitely travel between two places without making the portals collapse."/_

"This could revolutionize everything, Monika!"

She giggled and shook her head. _/"Unfortunately, no. I'm sorry to dash your hopes, but since the Town Portals are not powered directly by personal magic or tied to any magic ley lines, they will collapse on their own after five minutes or so. Also, unlike a [Boom Tube] it has no built-in protections allowing only your allies to pass through. In addition, each set of Town Portal scrolls can only tie to a specific town, towards a specific magic circle I will have to burn into a stone or metal plate."/_

 _/"This means we can sell MORE Town Portals, whole sets of them, and then charge for Town Portal anchors! Holy crap, Monika! We are Transport Tycoon now!"/_

Monika giggled again. _/"I had a feeling you would like it. So have you decided?"/_

I licked my lips and lay back down on the bed. _/"… when may we have the others if I decide on one unique [Teleport] magic now?"/_

Monika shrugged. _/"I don't know. The next [Teleport] [Null] magic I see will have to be significantly different to how [Portal] operates… which means the new spells gained from [Decompiling] it would also be significantly different. Maybe never?"/_

"I'm really going to have to think about this."

-.

-.

[Boom Tube] was noisy, but it was a pure long distance travel solution and the closest to true teleportation for us. Because it can be set anywhere in three-dimensional space, there were also some strategic and tactical options. Just opening the [Boom Tube] in the middle of the enemy formation, for example, could disorient them. There was also the whole "[Boom Tube] to the ocean floor" idea to drown the enemy in the desert with salt water that they can't use.

[Portal] was tactically useful, and I could evade enemy attacks easily playing whack-a-mole, dipping down and emerging somewhere else. Using pairs of shields, I could throw enemy attacks back into each other. We even could all wear long capes so that I could always put a [Portal] at our backs, and use each other as teleport points during combat.

[Town Portal] required me to visit a place before I could go there. It was more or less just a quick evac solution. Nothing flashy, but ugh! The money! So much money! The socioeconomic gains I couldn't even begin to predict.

 _/"Just go to sleep, Player. You have to mind your lesson plan for teaching Sue tomorrow."/_

Ugh. It was a familiar feeling. So exhausted, and yet just can't sleep. This was the most common and most annoying form of insomnia that afflicts many people. So you try to play a game or troll around the internet or something to force you brain to relax and then suddenly it's daytime and you have to go to school or to work. Dang it! We just never learn. It never works.

"… I might need some help getting to sleep."

 _/"In the Duke of Ortlinde's own home?! You are shameless, Player!" /_

Eheheh. That… wasn't a no.

-.

-.

Sue's morning lessons reviewed the functions of the Circulatory System as we discussed yesterday, and then we began to talk about the Nervous System. This included the brain and sensory organs as the eyes and ears, so she was so terribly interested.

Sue even looked somewhat annoyed when Charlotte arrived and interrupted her lessons. Alan accompanied her only long enough to put down a Magic Circle into the library floor and then [Portal] away through it.

Charlotte surprisingly managed to restrain herself and limited her questions to the end of the lecture. "Astounding. What sort of place has managed to decipher the human body to such an extent? How did your people even acquire such knowledge? You said before that this was something your people learned for themselves, not taken as scraps of old knowledge from the Ancient Civilization."

Sue stared up at me, and then a look of horror passed across her face.

Oh. Oh! Right. I talked about /vivisection/ to Sue. Woops.

I coughed onto my gloved fists. "Centuries of research. And there is a particular device that can view the insides of the human body via echoes of sound, and another that uses minute electrical fields. That's how our spell [Diagnosis] works."

"That's another unique spell that can't be learned, isn't it?" Charlotte huffed, and flicked at the trails of her long green hair. "How sad."

"Before any other spell, if I figure out how to make it possible for someone else to cast, that's the one Sue will have to figure out from me. Knowledge saves lives."

"That is so true."

Charlotte's legs twitched uncontrollably. She fidgeted in her seat. Then she stood up and complained angrily, "It is time! He should be here by now!"

Then after a little while longer, there was a bright flash of purple light - Alan's [Portal] activated. Another walking pile of books appeared, towering so high it the stack almost reached the ceiling.

"Alan!" Charlotte hissed. "What kept you? We were waiting for so long! You're wasting Sir Zah's valuable time!"

Alan tried to step forward, and then slipped on the tile floor. With a creaking sound Alan and his book tower toppled over backwards. "Oof! Gurk! Igh! Gleek!" Alan grunted in pain and tried to cover his soft tissues from the falling books.

"Uh… dude? Are you okay?" I asked. "Do you need healing?"

"Sir Zah of Chara, you are my sworn enemy!" he screamed out painfully from under the book pile. "Today you have made an enemy for life!"

I looked towards the buried form, then up at Charlotte's eagerly expectant face. "Just how many texts do you expect me to translate anyway?"

Charlotte kept on blithely ignoring Alan's pain. Alan was actually her brother-in-law, and by reports from her own sister and his own colleagues at the Royal Guards, he was willing to say anything to skivv off work. Thus everyone just kept forcing him to do things paying no attention how he has already repeatedly refused.

"There are countless important texts to decipher! You are the only one that can do this!"

My face twitched. "… all right. New plan." I picked up a pair of books from the pile. "Give me two random books and I'll translate it in my spare time and give you results every weekend."

Charlotte looked down at the pile, then back up at me. "But… but we would be wasting valuable learning hours during the weekend! Please! You don't know how much this means to me! Knowledge must be set free!" she exclaimed with sultry bedroom eyes and a bare-toothed battlefield grin.

If I ever got into the habit, Alan's fate would be mine as well. Nope to that!

I took one step back. She took one step forward, her shoulders lowering as if readying to pounce.

I stared at the smooth creamy exposed flesh of Charlotte's heaving bosoms, and then shouted "Monika! INITIATE GTFO PROTOCOLS!"

Monika cackled again. _/"GTFO Engaged."/_

A [Boom Tube] opened up behind me, and the bang of its opening threw out all books and caused Sue to shriek in alarm. The noise attracted the attention of the house guards, and soon one of them rushed to open the door, followed by the Duke himself.

Duke Alfred first looked for his daughter, and Sue was safe enough still seated by the study desk. Her long corn-yellow hair only looked a little bit frizzled. Then towards the large glowing hole in space inside his library. Then to the mess at my feet. Then back to looking all around his library, noting how he had already removed all breakable items as soon as I visited.

"Sorry, but I'll be leaving for now, my lord!" I said to him. Then to Sue "I left worksheets! Fill out your homework early, I'll check them on my return!"

"Wait!" Charlotte wailed, "Why are you leaving?!"

"I'll be back," I replied in a deep Austrian drawl, and leaped backwards. The [Boom Tube] sucked me in with a strong flying vacuum, and with closed with another loud bang.

There was a ripping noise and Duke Alfred howled, "My carpet!"

-.

-.

Boom.

Whump.

With a kicked-up cloud of dust, I landed on my back onto the fenced back yard of the Silver Moon Inn. The impact drove the breath right out of me, and landing flat with a flared helmet hurt my neck.

"What in gods' name?!" Micah rushed out to the back door, carrying a mop like it was a spear. "Oh. It's you." She looked at the overturned tables and benches and distressed bushes and sighed. "I suppose I should welcome you back, Mister Playa."

"Hi honey, I'm hooome."

Micah just huffed and rubbed at forehead. "Is this going to be a thing? I should start charging you nuisance fees."

I nodded, still lying down on the ground. Inappropriate laughter threatened to bubble out from inside me, but I had a strong feeling she would make me pay more for that. "Fair enough."

Ahahaha. Knowledge must be set free, and so – I have escaped!

-.

-.

Much later, it was while was dining with the girls that I suddenly realized, "Wait a second! I didn't get paid!"

I evac-ed out before the Duke could give me my tutoring fee. I should have asked to be paid in advance.

"You shouldn't look too pleased by that!" Elze shot back.

Elze please, make up your mind. Do you want me to make money or not?

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1)(ʰᵗᵗᵖ:/ᵈᶦᵃᵇˡᵒ.ʷᶦᵏᶦᵃ.ᶜᵒᵐ/ʷᶦᵏᶦ/ᵀᵒʷⁿ_ᴾᵒʳᵗᵃˡ)

(2)(ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ᵗᵛᵗʳᵒᵖᵉˢ.ᵒʳᵍ/ᵖᵐʷᶦᵏᶦ/ᵖᵐʷᶦᵏᶦ.ᵖʰᵖ/ᴹᵃᶦⁿ/ᶜʳʸˢᵗᵃˡˢᵖᶦʳᵉˢᴬⁿᵈᵀᵒᵍᵃˢ)

(3) (ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ᵉⁿ.ʷᶦᵏᶦᵖᵉᵈᶦᵃ.ᵒʳᵍ/ʷᶦᵏᶦ/ᴰᶦᵍᶦᵗᵃˡ_ʳᶦᵍʰᵗˢ_ᵐᵃⁿᵃᵍᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ)

Actually more like licensing terms, but it's the integrated anti-copying magic that's the magic DRM.

(4)(ʰᵗᵗᵖ:/ᵈᶜ.ʷᶦᵏᶦᵃ.ᶜᵒᵐ/ʷᶦᵏᶦ/ᴹᵒᵗʰᵉʳ_ᴮᵒˣ)


	32. Interlude 9, 10

**Interlude 9 – In pursuit to the adventurer town**

* * *

-.

.-

The [Boom Tube] closed with a final air-snapping hiss. Charlotte collapsed to her knees with her right hand outstretched, and wailed "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Well, this is about as good as I expected," Alan said dryly.

Charlotte slumped into herself like a puppet with its strings cut. "Why am I so unwanted?!" she cried out some more.

"What, aside from your extreme lack of self-awareness?" Alan snorted out.

Charlotte had carelessly ignored so many attempts at wooing her, and left an impression of being aloof and arrogant among her peers because she had nothing in common with them to converse about. She was largely inured to all social intrigue due to her power and position. All the influence she ever needed came from being able to interrupt the King.

Alan continued "I could say that you attract people until you open your mouth and show your true self, but a certain someone would make me pay for that. So I'll just say that not everyone has as much free time as you. You are expecting more commitment from random people than what they have the personal energy to give."

She sat there on the floor for some time. The Duke sighed and escorted Sue out of the room, bidding the servants to clean up.

"I just want to go home now…" Charlotte whispered in a dead voice.

-.

.-

But as Belfast's Court Magician her home was actually in the palace.

She shambled past all the checkpoints and the guards, listlessly walked past a good-looking young noble carrying a bouquet of flowers, magically floated up the spiraling staircase rather than spend the effort to climb, , and flopped face-down onto her bed. Her bedroom was just a small room behind her laboratory in the Magic Tower. Her predecessor, the old mage Harlan, had set up all this space. It suited her own ascetic life just fine.

Charlotte actually had her own small estate nearby, and her family while not nobles they were actually quite comfortably rich. Rich enough that they would rather send their daughter away rather than have her be kidnapped or taken advantage of by court nobles before they could secure her safety.

"Blooorgh," Charlotte moaned into her pillow in frustration and humiliation. "Why don't you ever learrrn?! Charlotte, you dummy! You can't just force people to like what you like, friends… friends don't come that easily."

She shivered again as she remembered a slim young-looking figure, with her face cast in shadow and her white hair shining in the darkness under her umbrella. Her grin would be too wide and a have a little too many teeth.

 _/"Friends? You don't need to wait for friends. Go on, make friends. Take friends. Don't stop, seize them, hammer down their resistance and make them yours!"/_ she imagined her teacher saying to her.

"That's just / _conscription_ /, Master Leeeene!" she moaned.

 _/"And if getting them to sign shady contracts doesn't work, then you're going to be just fine alone!"/_

Suddenly her door was kicked open. "Court Magician Charlotte! Is Court Magician Charlotte heeere?!"

"Noooo…" she moaned.

A tall, green-haired woman with her hair tied up in a bun swiftly appeared by the doorway to her bedroom. She looked very similar to Charlotte, with a classical beauty, but somewhat more marred by a tall bony cheeks and a severe expression on her face. Whereas Charlotte had a soft, demure sort of charm that intensified to almost humping herself on whatever caught her interest, Rosette started with all the grandeur of a fully armored statue of the goddess of victory and could only intensify with stabbing with swords.

She was an intimidatingly beautiful woman. Fortunately she was a ruthless businesswoman, so no literal sword stabbing.

"Goddess of mercy, it's worse that I thought?! Who was this man that crushed my poor innocent younger sister's heart?! I will destroy the scum!" She could just hire people to do that for her.

"… Alan."

Rosette paused, and shrugged. "Ehh, there's nothing more I can possibly do to make Alan suffer in any special way after what I did to him when he got me pregnant with twins. Y-you know he means well, he just doesn't know how to say it well."

Going from a place with emotionally unstable fey to a family filled with nothing but tsunderes didn't help Charlotte's awareness of a healthy loving relationship any. Rosette however had been tremendously impressed by Alan's forlorn bravery in being willing to bitch to anyone about anything, even in the face of the nobility.

"No, it's something… it's someone else, isn't it?" she added.

Charlotte moaned again. "Just don't let me talk to any more people. I'm fine with my research… I can die here happy."

Then she felt a pang in her heart, because obviously she needed the help of that someone to finish her research. "GAAAAAH!"

"M-my normally composed and unfairly powerful little sister is so flustered," the older sister with a villainous face muttered. "The little sister who doesn't depend on me anymore. I kind of like it."

She sat on the bed and began to stroke Charlotte's hair. "Charlotte… I know you're strong. But you're not alone, you know? There are a lot of people who care about you – not Charlotte the mage, not Charlotte the advisor to the king, not Charlotte who is the daughter of the Lotte trading company… but Charlotte the girl that we missed for so long.

"So don't worry about anything. Just do what you want. If you feel you can't be strong, we'll be holding you up. If you feel like the world is pressing down on you, we'll hold the whole world back."

That was what a family was about.

"I heard about it from Alan. If that boy dares to run from you again, tie him up and make him regret rejecting you! I'll break his knees so he can't run away!"

For mysterious reasons, despite her very comely body and highly practiced refinement, Charlotte was such a total dork with no idea about healthy human relationships. If she actually had to try to deliberate seduce someone she wouldn't even know how to start.

-.

.-

Slam. "Sir Zah Playah of Chara! Is there a Sir Zah Playah of Chara here?!"

The person in question screamed back from the other side of the dining area "Ghosts of Solomon, woman! What are you doing here on your official work hours?! Don't you have a job to do?!"

Alan was not accompanying her anymore, since he and Rosette said they were due some hubby-wifey-kiddies time instead of Charlotte dragging him all over the place just as a shuttle service. Being her personal attaché was supposed to be for his tactical utility - being able to bring back the court magician to the capital in times of emergency - but Sir Playa now had his own similar teleportation magic.

(He still charged her for the service, of course, which was something Charlotte respected.)

And so she noticed that the more she talked with Playa, the more and more he was starting to act and talk like Alan.

Sir Playa also looked mildly terrified, which was again as she was used to seeing from Alan.

He was also still staring at her body like most men she encountered, but less and less so, he focused on her face when talking. And even though she couldn't see his eyes, she could tell when he was genuinely angry and when he was just shiftlessly trying to avoid work.

"Umm. Don't you? I'm sorry to say this… but I always seem to find you inside the inn no matter what time I arrive."

Playa glanced towards the red-haired woman by the bar counter, who shrugged. "I'm working here now," he said flatly.

"Surely we could offer you much better employment for an adventurer of your caliber than as a servant, Sir Playa."

Playa, who was still a Purple-ranked adventurer, looked away in shame. "Um, by that I mean I actually have 12.5% stock in this here inn."

Charlotte stared blankly in return. It was a pity that Charlotte only had a brain for magic, because anyone else from her family could probably give Playa that animated discussion on economic skullduggery he was craving in this parallel world.

At no point did Playa ever ask for more of her time away from work or to take liberties with her body, or to ask her to intercede with the king. While at times it was clear he wanted her to just leave him be, the same way she always wanted others to leave her be with her own thoughts, at least he gave her the proper bribes to get her to go away.

She could almost hear her teacher's voice echoing in the back of her mind _/"Wait… aren't you just a puppy being told how to play fetch?/"_ A sigh. _/"Well I suppose I expected no better from you."/_

Charlotte clutched at her head and hunched over. "No that's not it at all!"

"No, of course not. This is just the frame, I'll be explaining the next part about how to solve all our translation problems now."

"Eh?" Charlotte looked up to see that Playa had placed some sort of empty pyramidal frame on the table.

"So the problem is that you can bring all sorts of documents here, but I only have two eyes. You're wasting my time having to open books, look at them, translate them, and then store the translated images to be printed out later. Remember, it's not ME that's doing the translation. It's Monika's own magic – my personal translation magic is to understand spoken languages, not written languages.

"If your own personnel could just give me prepared images, they could all be done literally as fast as Monika could read through them inside her own world, which progresses at a much faster rate than outside reality.

Zah Playa then showed her a black cube, somewhat smaller than what they called the [Projector Cube] that Monika used to appear out in the mortal world. It had a small flat-ended bulb on one side and a pane of glass about two inches on the back side. Playa pressed a button and then first a flash of light, then some mysterious symbols, and then the glass side became transparent? No, it was a lens!

"What is this magic tool?"

"It's… I'm going to call it a minicam for now. This magic tool goes here, at the top of the frame, perfectly located to see a whole two pages of text. Now, look here…" Charlotte approached to be able to see the screen properly, having to touch cheeks with Playa to do so. "Once you have adjusted the book or manuscript to fit, press this red button."

Charlotte did as instructed, and there was a soft click. The image on the small screen froze for a bit before it began to shift again with subtle shades of sunlight for a live image.

"How interesting! It is like an image crystal… there is this magic tool that can place images onto small panes of glass, which you can then shine a light through for a much larger image." The camera obscura was a very old concept that Charlotte was already well familiar with, but what mystified her was the source of the light. "So what happens now?"

"Now, the image is stored in a small memory card… here. You don't have to bring the whole thing back to me, just this memory card." He popped out the SD card and slipped it back in. "Monika, what's five hundred gigabytes divided by about two megabytes?" Playa asked.

After a moment, he gave the answer "Two hundred fifty thousand pages or so."

Charlotte recoiled. "Two hundred fifty- ! That's a quarter of a million pages!"

She gasped and began to breathe so quickly she could not take enough oxygen and was about to pass out. Playa jabbed his fingers to her neck and cast [Resuscitate].

And then continuing on as if nothing strange had happened, "Now, this magic tool is not actually powered by ambient magic. It runs on… say, captured light. You will have to use this separate magic tool."

He then showed her a power bank with a solar panel on one side. "Leave this out in the sun for at least six hours. The minicam should be able to last for one whole day of straight use, but use it only through daylight hours and then overnight allow it to recuperate by inserting this wire into this socket."

"That's strange. It's almost like a living creature. But I understand! I'll be careful and do as you ask!" Charlotte nodded eagerly. "I would do anything for quarter of a million pages!"

Playa's right cheek twitched. "Right. Ahem. Anyway, this means that your own people can scan pages into the thing, and so you don't have to send me wagonloads of manuscripts anymore. Seriously, please take them back. I'm having to rent another whole room just to store them."

He took out another micro SD card and slid it over on the table towards her. "You can just have a messenger send me a memory card instead. I'll lend you two so that you can keep working while the other is on the way."

Charlotte stared down at the black sliver only about the size of one of her fingernails. She hesitantly reached down to pick it up and winced at just how flimsy the plastic felt in her hands. "Half a million pages…! This... this is too precious! I don't understand, how can you bear to lend this to us? It's too risky! What if the messenger is waylaid?!"

He sniffed, "Some things are priceless because they are so unique they literally CANNOT be priced. These magic tools are the only ones like them in the world. And because of that, anyone stealing my equipment would find them spectacularly useless."

Playa tapped at the thing on his face. "Knowledge is power, but there can be no freedom without understanding. Iron bars do not a prison make, nor stone walls a cage."

Charlotte stared at the 500GB micro-SD card with something approaching reverence.

Playa stared at her quiet face, and felt a pang in his heart. He recited the rest of the stanza:

"Minds innocent and quiet take

"That for an hermitage.

"If I have freedom in my love,

"And in my soul am free,

"Angels alone, that soar above,

"Enjoy such liberty."

He smiled gently. "Richard Lovelace, written in sixteen-forty-two."

"A book is a conversation across the centuries, a thought frozen in time held in the palm of one's hand," Charlotte replied softly.

Then she looked up sharply. "Wait! If you can do this… do you… does this not mean you have a whole library of your people's knowledge and culture with you AT ALL TIMES?!"

Her eyes blazed with renewed fervor.

"Oh I have a made a terrible mistake," Playa breathed out.

But fortunately he was saved from being molested some more by another disturbance by the door.

"Zah Playa! Is Playa is still here? Is there a lazy ass that needs to be kicked?!"

-.

.-

Elze, Linze, and Yae had arrived. Charlotte greeted them with undisguised friendliness. In truth, she liked these girls – they had the sort of energy and bravery to be themselves that she wished she had known in her own teenage years. All her life she had been shuttled to and fro, learning and improving, but always in other people's terms, too afraid of failing to meet their expectations.

The girls, as Adventurers, had such freedom and daring and independence at such a young age that she was just honestly jealous.

And to her pleasant surprise, they actually had enough in common to talk about. While she was not a registered adventurer, her youth and training in Mismede and then her efforts to be recognized as the court mage put her in many interestingly dangerous situations. She had fought a great variety of monster beasts.

They chatted nicely over mediocre tea served by the Silver Moon Inn's proprietress. Until after a while, Linze suddenly interrupted with "Um… excuse me! Miss Charlotte! Please…!"

"Mm? Yes?"

"I would like… no, I... I challenge you to a duel!"

Phrfffft. Zah Playa spurted tea across the table, to Elze's aggrieved "Hey!" of disgust and dismay at her now wet clothes.

"Why," Playa moaned. "Why, Linze, whyyy?!"

But this time Linze could not be flustered by his attentions. She simply nodded and stared up at Charlotte with a disturbingly serene gaze. "It's… just something that I have to do for myself, I'm sorry."

Charlotte slowly put down her teacup and smiled kindly. "I understand. I accept."

-.

.-

* * *

Interlude 10 – In pursuit of her dreams

* * *

-.

.-

"Strength! Strength! Strength! Strength!" Elze and Yae chanted as they happily skipped away hand in hand down the road. Behind them was a heap of monster corpses.

Linze watched them go and sighed. She cast a spell to set the useless carcasses on fire. Elze and Yae made even mid-rank hunting missions ridiculously easy now. As she watched her sister's back as the two fighters skipped down the road, Elze felt a small pang in her heart.

For almost all her life, there had only been her twin sister. They shared everything, good and bad. No matter how they grew up and their talents and interests diverged, they would always be each other's greatest friend. She still had confidence in that.

But seeing Elze and Yae rapidly outstrip her in martial pursuits was profoundly irritating, since they dragged her out into the woods to fight rather than just vegetating around with Zah Playa.

It really was fun to learn magic with Mister Zah, even with the grueling tedium of rearranging translated texts, because even as he turned magic into daily utility he always approached magic with a sense of childlike wonder that she'd lost.

But as Elze would say "Don't become a potato, my sistah!"

Practicing magic at home with Playa with his infinite magic pool helped refine her techniques, but not her innate magic capacity. Just like a muscle, it could only increase by being pushed to exhaustion and then growing larger after recovery. And only a clear mind honed in battle could provide speed and sharpness of casting.

The pair of fighters were an effective screen while she could choose how to slay the enemy by Fire or Ice. However, she was still just someone in the back row, and the delights the two fighters found in being able to kill their enemies faster and more efficiently was not something she shared. She was losing the comfortable intimacy with her sister, feeling like a third wheel and being brought along as a chore.

Elze turned around and looked at her quizzically. "Linze? You coming?"

Linze touched the Bluetooth earbud on her right ear and sighed, "Please bring us home, Miss Monika."

BOOM.

The air exploded from behind Linze, and a bright white tunnel cut into the forest. It was important remember that [Boom Tube] was Monika's special ability, not Playa's.

Elze huffed "Walking builds stamina, you know?"

"But it will take us most of the day to get back," Linze objected softly. "More missions every day, that's what you wanted." They were quite an effective team already, almost making Mister Zah unnecessary. Linze didn't like that feeling.

She licked her lips. Elze and Yae wanted power to feel good about themselves and their place in the world. Linze was starting to think differently. She only had to ask.

-.

.-

Court Magician Charlotte was a completely untouchable existence. Linze couldn't afford to let the opportunity go, however.

"Are you sure about this?" Playa asked. "What are you trying to get from this?"

 _/"One must test the limits of one's capacity,"/_ Monika said over him. _/"Growth occurs when one goes beyond one's limits. Realizing that is also part of training."/_

"Again with the Itachi quotes," Playa sighed.

 _/"Drown the world its own blood, Linze Silhoueska!"/_ Monika roared overdramatically.

Linze giggled. "It's all right. I just want to know how far I have to go."

"How wise of you," Charlotte said happily. "Oh, this takes me back. It is indeed important for a student to test themselves to the limits on occasion. But… have you ever fought a formal duel before? How do you want to carry this out?"

"Um, what do you advise, please?" Linze asked.

"Well… there is of course the duel in which you use all spells and move around as much as you want in real combat. There's also more formalized rules in which the combatants pick only one element, and cast only from that element. For even more additional constraints, they are not allowed to move from their position. It's a good way of training affinity."

And Playa muttered to himself "Wait, isn't this the magic equivalent of dueling with pistols?"

"Let's do that, then! Please!" Linze decided.

-.

.-

And so they faced off in a clearing some distance away from town. Linze had picked Fire, her strongest affinity. Charlotte decided to go with Water.

Charlotte's wand was a long thin, deceptively fragile stick rather than the battle wand Linze carried. The large crystal in the center of Linze's wand was actually hardened wood resin encapsulating three smaller magic crystals. Charlotte's precision wand for her five-element-affinity had its magic crystals in a line and relied upon her own skill at visualization to force the casting point to appear at the tip of her wand no matter the sequence of elements.

Linze didn't dither over who would attack first. Just like with Playa, she also believe that the first virtue was speed!

"Come forth, Fire! Continuous explosive attack, [Flare Burst!]"

A small, fast-moving fireball shot out from the tip of her wand towards the court magician. Soon followed by others in a fully automatic spray of fire bolts. It was the sort of thing that made Playa so frustrated about the obviously constructed nature of their magic system. Input desires, output effect.

Charlotte quickly whispered "Come forth Water, spiral barrier [Aqua Shell]." This basic spell created an ice shield to deflect the barrage. But repeated hits could eventually crumple it and break through. The [Flare Bursts] smacked against the [Aqua Shell] until finally it broke with a crack.

"[Aqua Shell]," whispered again. Another ice shield appeared before the fire bolts could reach her. And then again, "[Aqua Shell]".

This was the benefit of mainlining one element. One didn't have to speak "Come forth, [Element!]" each time, and some spells can do without the middle instruction chant.

But what Charlotte did with her pair of [Aqua Shell] ice shields was to flick them up and down, telekinetically moving them with easy flicks of her wand, one in front of the other. The fire bolts couldn't break through one fast enough, and Charlotte could sacrifice the trailing edges of the [Aqua Shell] because the one behind still covered her.

Leapfrogging over the other, she was using her shields to attack!

Linze licked her lips and switched tactics abruptly. "Red stone blast, [Ignis Fire!]"

A Fire magic that arrived from above, the one Linze first used against those Long-horned Wolves in their first meeting. It was an inconvenient spell that forced the caster to lead the target, if powerful and piercing, but now it demonstrated its utility. It was a spell designed to bypass line of sight and conventional protections.

If Charlotte dodged, then Linze would win! If she moved one of her ice shields up, Linze would be able to break the weakened shield in front of her.

Charlotte flicked her wand down, and rammed one of the shields into the ground. She flicked up to defend against the vertical flame strike.

This was her chance! With savage glee, Linze declared "Striking string of flame [Flame Whip!]" A brilliant red fire whip formed out of the tip of her battle wand, and she slashed at the [Aqua Shell]. The shield broke apart in a spray of ice and mist. At almost the same time the [Ignis Fire] blossomed behind it, over Charlotte's position.

Did she win? She could barely hope.

As the mist cleared, she saw that over Charlotte's hunched-over body two [Ice Walls] met in a triangle formation. The [Ignis Fire] had broken through, but the first ice wall carried enough of its impact away that it punched through to the side instead.

Charlotte stared back at her, a gentle approving smile on her face. And then the court magician saw the [Fire Whip], and her eyes just glazed over.

And then a glowing blue sword grew from the tip of her wand.

-.

.-

"Blargh!"

Linze fell face-down onto the muddy ground.

"Enough!" Playa shouted. "That's… that's enough! You win."

Charlotte blinked, and her eyes grew clear again. She realized what she had done and gasped. "Oh no…! I didn't mean… I'm sorry! Miss Silhoueska! Are you all right?!"

Linze pushed off the ground and sighed. "I'm fine." She wiped at her face and sat down, resting on her knees. "Well this went about just as well as I had expected."

Playa winced. The sequence of attacks was so fast even he could barely see it happening. Linze was not just rekt. She was Tyrannosaurus Rekt. "Linze? Just tell me if you're feeling any pain. It was a good fi-"

The girl stood up and bowed at Charlotte. "Congratulations. Thank you, Miss Charlotte. I learned a lot."

"Linze!" Elze cried out in concern.

Linze smiled sadly at her, shook her head, and turned away.

-.

.-

And then once she was away from the others, she whispered "It's not enough. I agree, Miss Monika. I'll do as you want. I can't grow as fast as them on my own."

 _/"Don't get discouraged from just this,"/_ the artificial girl whispered through the earbud. _/"Remember that out of all people, I have chosen you. Give me your heart's desire, and I will fulfill it all entire."/_

Linze nodded. "I'm not afraid. Not anymore."

Monika sounded uncertain. _/"But Elze will be very angry if she finds out. No, *when* she finds out. Linze... if you're not sure, there's still plenty of time to back out."/_

"It doesn't matter. You're right, Miss Monika. None of us are meant for peaceful days."

She laughed weakly and looked up at the clear blue sky. Her heart hammered with loss. There were no tears in her eyes, she could never really compete with them after all. Wealth, beauty, talent, power… she was like a frog in a pond, coming to realize the vastness of the world beyond.

In the end she was always chasing after someone else's table scraps. She had never in life been able to do anything by herself, and she had no wish to be alone at the end of things. In the end, like Elze had said, they were just two *random peasants* from *nowhere*.

There was no battering to her self-esteem worse than what she had already done to herself. She was not jealous of everyone else's talents, or courage, or intelligence. Envy, yes, but she didn't begrudge anyone their natural gifts. She knew her place… and to reach beyond it, she needed something special. To BE special. This was what she believed.

She had to be useful to have any value…

And so she whispered as she was taught, "[Peace is a lie, there is only passion]."

-.

.-

And so in the weeks after, Linze returned to accompanying Playa on his tutoring excursions back in Belfast. Combat was good for training [Fire] and [Water], but healing with [Light] was something that she and a little girl had in common.

They were near the breakthrough that would allow them to cast Playa's custom spells. The difference, Monika had theorized, was that while the native magic was purpose-based and oddly a very refined language with spontaneously appearing magic circles doing much of the work, Playa's spells worked through strict visualization and did have an emotional component.

While Playa was reviewing Sue's homework, the Duchess Ellen asked to speak in private with Linze. She was brought to a secluded side room in the mansion. There was a time when Linze would have cringed in the face of royalty, but after dealing with Playa for so long she no longer had room in her heart to fear embarrassment or causing offense.

She could now only look back at the Duchess' oddly perceptive eyes and see someone that was helped up to become strong again. Someone who had almost given in to despair and tried to be content with what little she had left.

"I've heard good things about you," Duchess Ellen said. "And I think, in thanks for all that you have done for this family, there are also ways I can help you. Not more superficial gifts of money, not the promise of titles and favors… there is a direct way I can pay back your great kindness in saving my child."

"Um, I wouldn't dare impose…"

The beautiful noblewoman smiled. "Your main Element is [Fire], right? There used to be a custom of marrying to elemental bloodlines – [Light] to [Light], to maintain the potency of the healing arts and the most sacred element, [Fire] to [Water] to perhaps balance out their tempers and produce [Light], avoiding mixing [Wind] and [Water] or else they might produce the common [Earth]… all superstition.

"Noble families just made their bloodlines look pure and strong by discarding their own children that didn't fit with what they wanted. My family had been this way too, but it is fortunate that we have moved past it. There were also those who objected to my marriage with Alfred, seeing him as marrying below his station. As potent as my father's magic was, I did not have the [Light] affinity."

"Um wait, do you mean…?"

"My element is [Fire]. I have nothing but time. Your friend is teaching my child. I can teach you too. It feels… balanced that way. Would you allow me to take you on as my apprentice in this matter?"

Linze blinked. Huh. Well that was a thing. She could think of no good reason to refuse without causing offense, but if the Duchess was just doing this as a chore to pay back a debt she would rather not be a bother.

But in those sightless eyes, she only saw a renewed living passion. She bowed respectfully. "Thank you. I accept, then."

The Duchess Ellen took out her old wand from a drawer. Its handle was more like that of a dagger, and was made of crystal horn that ended in a fine stabbing point.

And she spoke with a thin but vicious smile, "Good. It's time perhaps that the court learned again why our marriage was not one of [Ice] and [Fire]… but of [Fire] and [MORE FIRE]."

-.

.-

* * *

AN:

And that's it for this week's updates.


	33. Conquest of the Old Capital

**Conquest of the Old Capital**

* * *

-.

-.

Time passed. Every time I visited the Duke Ortlinde's mansion, something tended to break. Cups. Vases. Carpets. The entirety of his corner garden after we opened a [Boom Tube] there on our first return (eventually we decided to just appear in a forest nearby and walk the rest of the way in). Finally the Duke had enough and decided to make me pay compensation for anything that happened during my stay.

But tutoring Sue was just a short-term income solution. Some of my investments were now bearing fruit.

I was still getting ice cream residuals from Parent Café, but I was now also getting a percentage from Silver Moon Inn's own Chickenjoy Fried Chicken. The secret was the celery-and-garlic sauce that was surprisingly difficult to imitate.

I supplied the recipe, negotiated for bulk discounts on a further away farm helped by [Boom Tube] transportation, while the Silver Moon Inn provided the perpar and eating spaces. I put up a signboard with a distinctive red chicken logo and "Juicy-licious, Crispy-licious! The original, the authentic, CHICKENJOY!"

Micah and her father were surprisingly annoyed at seeing more customers. Micah please. I don't understand if you're actually lazy or industrious.

She was even opposed to hiring more cooks, because that would risk the secret, but really most of the secret was in the marinade and the sauce. The juiciness comes from being soaked in brine overnight. All the rest is just the proper amount of coating and a deep fryer, which any half-trained yahoo could do.

And then you fry sliced potatoes in the oil for tastier fries. Chicken and fries and ice cream or mead. Fast, salty, cheap tasty fare. With an annoyed sigh Micah asked why wouldn't I just go make my own shop already, and so I explained to her the whole concept of a franchise.

"That is the most shameless dishonest method I've ever heard," was her response. "I want in on this thing."

And then later, Aer burst in with "My breeeaaasts! Ah, wait. I meant my BREEEEEAAAAD! Sell my bread with your chicken instead!"

I crossed my arms and stuck my tongue out at her. "We can bake our own bread, thank you very much. What can you contribute to this franchise?!"

"Girlpower!"

-.

-.

Employee costs were my main expense. Aer had us there, her wide web of contacts with the town's marriageable young ladies looking for financial independence was indeed the foundation for the franchise.

I set up a stall near the Adventurer's Guild to take orders. It wasn't a kitchen stall, it was a small kiosk that took payments in exchange for delivery vouchers. The Adventurer's Guild had its own food court in the first floor, which normally you'd think would compete us out of the location. But we had the [Bucket Meal]! With actually reusable small wooden buckets with the red Chickenjoy brand at the side.

Also dirty tricks like hidden prizes at the bottom of the bucket under the wax paper, and stamp cards for Every Ten Chicken Buckets, Get One Free! We actually had to figure out a good way of preventing fraud for that.

I was somewhat annoyed that people were starting to call it Red Chicken instead of Chickenjoy, so I added normal and spicy variants to the menu. For walk-in customers to the Silver Moon Inn, they could get regular or more peppery spicy.

For adventurers buying from the stall, the buxom delivery girls would bring them 'tastebud-destroyer' spicy. Which just made them want it more for some reason. Fine! Give me all your money to fulfill your masochistic tastes, ahahahaha.

But just tasty fried chicken was not enough to create the total franchise dominance I wanted.

-.

-.

I apologized and made a peace offering to Dolan. It was a chessboard. Belfast had board games too of course, but they were more related to the Royal Game of Ur or checkers and weiqi/go.

And even if they had something like Chaturanga or Xiangqi, I was confident in my chessboard's standout presence. The hand-carved pieces, the alternating colored squares, th grid, all of these made for a significantly more improved tactile and visual experience compared to the usual games with flat tokens. It also made for a faster conclusion than 9x9 or 11x11 grids. It was quite intuitive for Dolan and even Micah to understand the rules.

"This is the Pawn. It can only move forward on space, except for its first move when it may rush ahead two spaces. It represents the soldier, as you can see why there are eight of them all here on the first rank. It can only capture to the sides, and can block other pawns in front, like how infantry generally block each other and defeat enemy formations through the flanks.

"There is a special rule for Pawns in that if they manage to reach the enemy line all the way across the board, they can be promoted to any other piece."

And then I explained En Passant, in which a pawn that moves two spaces may, if another pawn could capture it normally moving one space, could go ahead and capture it instead. It only worked for pawn against pawn, going ahead two spaces would protect its movement from other pieces.

Maybe from how commoners were usually ignored by others and had a self-sabotaging nature from envious crab mentality? I dunno.

I moved on. "This is the Rook, or the Tower. It can only move in straight lines, and can capture anything within those lines. It is the blunt and straightforward nature of the army.

"This is the Bishop. Like the Rook, it can move all the way across the board, but unlike the Rook can only move in diagonals and only with the color it starts with. Thus, which the Rook can move through white and black square, your White and Black Bishops can only defend or attack according to their nature. They represent the rallying power of the nation's religion and business.

"These are the Knights. They have a unique way of moving in that they can only move two squares, then one to the left or right. This shows how cavalry can move past obstacles quickly and attack from unexpected angles.

"This is the Queen. The Queen is the most powerful piece in the board able to move in all directions diagonal and straight, and represents the power of the nation's nobility. However, because it is so powerful, losing it for non-equivalent exchanges can be a threat.

"And this is the King, the very soul of the nation. Like the Queen, it can move and capture in all directions, but only one space at a time. The game ends when the King can no longer evade capture. If the King is in imminent threat of capture, that is a 'check', and the next move must ALWAYS be a way to prevent capture. If it cannot do so, then that's 'checkmate' and the game ends."

While chess had very little to do with learning military strategy, the fact that it looked like a battlefield in miniature was sure to be a hit.

I did have to challenge Dolan's ego a bit to get him to play for the first time, and that was a mistake. It didn't take him long to figure out fundamental chess concepts like openings, threats, and control.

He was still slaughtered every time.

"Yeah, you can't exactly say _'Only if you can beat me in chess, I'll give my daughter to you'_ , can you?" I sighed.

"The hell you say!"

-.

-.

Micah looked peeved at me. Afternoons in the Silver Moon Inn were busier now.

I ordered a large solid gold cup embossed with a rooster over a sunburst to be made. The Rooster Royal Chess Championship Cup. Whoever could beat me in an official tournament would be the new Chess Champion, but for now there were lesser prizes and tourneys to figure out ranks between Beginner, Intermediate, Candidate, Master, and Grandmaster.

That chess pieces were so instantly recognizable made chess easier as a spectator sport. The Inn had half its first floor now devoted to the chess club and people who visited in the afternoons. Then as the evening comes to a close, there would be an informal eight-player tourney and whoever wins gets a free Chickenjoy to take home.

On the weekends were trial tourneys, with an entry fee of one copper. First place gets five silver. Second place two silver. Third place five copper. Win at least third place for five tourneys and you rank into Candidate. Don't participate in any tourneys for at most six months and your rating gets bumped down to Intermediate.

Candidate games get one gold for first place, five silver for second, and one silver for third. Candidate players get to participate in monthly Master's Tournaments.

Whoever could beat me at least one in an official setting would be a Chess Master. If I'm not participating, then by winning three Master-level tournaments. I was the world's sole Grandmaster by virtue of:

a) Introducing the game,

b) Cheating shamelessly with a chess engine on my face.

Only a ranked Master may challenge a Champion for the title. It would be a separate highly publicized match that was best out of seven games. A Champion can only be challenged every five months or so. (There were sixteen months in this world's year, and thus three chances to lose their title in a year.)

That was for the future. In the meantime, there was a lot of informal betting and challenges between new players. Micah got a small cut from them, even much to her bemoaning of her inn turning into a den of sin.

Dolan was getting lots of practice during the day. I had to teach Sue on the weekends, so I could only play a match during the evenings of their Sundays. Dolan took it upon himself to be the one really defending the title and the honor of the Silver Moon Inn.

To break even during the weekends, entry takes would have to be 50 + 20 + 5 copper or seventy-five people entering the Inn. We weren't getting that many people just yet, and we had a rule that there had to be at least 16 people to earn the full prize bracket. If there were only eight sign-ups, the rewards would be halved.

But at least if Dolan managed to win, he keeps that five silver. Since I was franchise owner of the Belfast Chess Federation, I was paying for the prize purse out of my own pocket and Dolan was always happy to take my money. He would spit on charity or rent, but hustling me out of my dosh? That was fair game apparently.

So he introduced chess to all his friends and drummed up players for the sport, all to challenge him.

It was as if Hulk Hogan had decided to be a chess player instead of a wrestler, glowering over Bobby Fischer in their championship title bout.

-.

-.

But he was still more than happy to challenge me for no stakes too. One could only get strong by going up against stronger players after all! On occasion I had little enough to do, so early in the mornings we'd warm up by playing a game.

And it was in one of those mornings that found me face-down onto the chessboard. If I didn't wear the VR box on my face, these pieces would have stabbed me in the eye, what the hell!

Elze had suddenly and violently kicked the back off my chair, and sneered down at me.

"ARE YOU EVEN AN ADVENTURER?!" she yelled. "How long do you plan on just sitting around, you're going to become fat and useless! Playing games all day like some shiftless layabout!"

"Oy...!" Dolan tried to weakly protest. Then he stared down at the messed up board and beamed. "AHA! Wait, that means I WIN!"

"Matches disturbed by external factors don't count or automatically become a draw," I hissed at him.

"You can't just keep on making up new rules whenever you feel like it. Draw! It has to be a draw!"

What is this hypocrisy, dude. "Fiine. That's 28 wins – 1 draw – 0 losses, for me. You have 171 wins, 1 draw, 34 losses."

I took out a piece of paper and marked down the ranking change with an enchanted quill. The number automatically changed on an enchanted board placed on the Inn wall, just under the display shelf showing the golden cup. Another pricey little trinket, but worth it. It has anti-forgery magic built in and there was no way to rub out the letters on the board.

"Mister Zah… it has been a while…" Linze said softly.

With Yae accompanying us in town, monster extermination quests have become even more ridiculously easy. So Yae and Elze went off on adventures on their own, earning some spending pocket change. They didn't dare touch their platinums lest they get into a loathsome spending habit.

Yes, they were looking at me as they said that.

Linze's loss against Charlotte didn't seem to affect her much. She helped out with the business sometimes, but ironically it was actually Elze who had a head for numbers among the twins. It was cute how Linze's head looked like it would start smoking as she dealt with double entry bookkeeping. Now that I had the [Boom Tube] for long-distance teleportation she accompanied me with tutoring Sue. Other times she went off with the Yae and Elze for an all-girl adventuring party. She had quite busy days. Frankly Monika had more time with her than I did.

Huh. Has it really been almost a month since we all last fought together as a team?

"ENOUGH PLAYING AROUND! GO DO SOME REAL WORK, YOU SCUM!" Elze yelled some more. She shoved a Guild mission paper at my face. "Here's a high-value mission! Get up before you become too pathetic and lazy like some fat sweaty petty landlord! This behavior is disgusting!" Despite the violence of her words, her tone actually conveyed a lot of concern.

Yae nodded. "Playa-dono. Let us know each other's strength again." She and Elze had been out adventuring with the fullest of enthusiasm and been fighting strong monsters to quickly increase their strength. I supposed she also wanted to test the new limits of her capacity.

Elze began poking me in the abdomen. I put my hand protectively over my belly before she decided to turn her finger pokes into full force punches.

"A mission to subjugate the Old Capital of Belfast, huh?" I knew about the place from Charlotte's lectures. A thousand years ago, they had to abandon the place and built a new capital that would become Alephis. More significantly, the language they used back them was much closer to the Ancient Partheno language that it was mostly incomprehensible to modern speakers.

Even more mysteriously, there were no records whatsoever WHY they had to abandon it so suddenly.

It was a dangerous enough place that it still remained mostly unexplored. Not even the regular army dared to make expeditions there.

The enemy listed in the mission request was something called a "Night Baron". I looked past the page at Elze and frowned. "Are you sure it's fine to try this with only four people? You know, I could probably talk Charlotte into giving us more men to help with the expedition AND give up more money just for the privilege of accompanying us into the Old Capital."

"We are doing this now! No more excuses! No more delays! Fight for the sake of fighting! Win for the sake of winning!"

Yae, standing behind Elze, nodded. "It is best in life, that it is."

Even Linze looked eager for action. "Please, Mister Zah."

Ugh. Monika, why didn't you warn me about this?

 _/"I happen to agree with Elze. You've become predictable, Player. Do more than just hang around with quarrelsome old men and thirsty young women._

 _/"Struggle and fight! Go forth and amuse me, Player!"/_

-.

-.

-.

Boom.

The [Boom Tube] brought us to a clearing near the old capital. And then we were almost immediately attacked by a pack of Long-horned Wolves.

"Dang it Monika!"

 _/"Hey, I don't have any control over what's on the other side of the [Boom Tube] when I'm firing blindly, okay? There's no GPS on this world, I'm making exit points by triangulating off known landmarks."/_

Monika had very precise directions towards the Ortlinde mansion from the Silver Moon Inn in Reflet, and our flight plan towards it allowed her to gauge the straight line distance. From there, she using that distance as a base unit, she could create an acute triangular grid to cover the known kingdom map. Then subdividing those triangles into more accurate exit points.

 _/"Although it's not really much of a problem, is it?"/_ she added, as Elze and Yae surged into action and basically just ripped through the monster beasts. _/"At what point do you feel like being useful again, Player?"/_

And then that's when the Night Baron, a massive black-armored spectral knight ambushed us from behind. My [Air Sense] gave me just enough warning to keep from being bisected through the hips. I lunged at Linze and brought her down to the ground. Clutching her in my arms, I rolled us through the grass and out from stabbing range.

"DANG IT, MONIKA!" I screamed out as I helped Linze back up to her feet. Elze had to leave Yae to fend off all those other wolves on her own to stand between us and the enemy.

 _/"… I have no excuse."/_

-.

-.

Even though Long-horned Wolves were not normally a threat anymore to Linze and Elze, and much less to Yae's lethally precise sword, their presence along with the Night Baron tremendously complicated the issue. Any of them knocking us down or grabbing a limb at the wrong time would allow the Night Baron the opening to just chop us in two with the massive broadsword it was swing as if weightless.

/"No, this is probably YOUR fault, Player."/ Monika said idly as I dodged. /"Monsters apparently are attracted to areas of high magical concentrations. They are not, however, mindless – so they stay away from walled towns and cities well enough. But looking at you is like a buffet of magical power that will enable them to grow much much stronger."/

"I'm not even sure that's actually a thing," I replied as I stabbed a Long-horned Wolf in the throat. Standing behind me, back to back, Linze slammed a fire bolt into another monster wolf. "Linze, is that a thing?"

"I'm not sure, Mister Zah. Although a lot of monster meat is inedible or even poisonous to humans, they don't have a problem eating each other."

Yae and Elze slammed into the Night Baron from opposite directions. Elze's fist smashed against its shield while Yae's sword met its blade. A small impact shockwave of air erupted around them.

The Night Baron didn't even budge. It was a massive empty suit of armor, but it moved with strange agility and solidity as if it had weight and balance conferred by a master warrior inside. Since it lacked a head, it was a Dullahan.

A headless horseman or a knight that carried its head in its arms, looking for a suitable neck for itself. Harbingers of death, or so the legend goes. But this one didn't have a head yet clearly was able to perceive and attack things just fine.

Elze and Yae disengaged as it swept around itself with a blade about as long as a normal human was tall.

"[Fire Bolt!]"

And then Linze and I switched places, still back to back. "[Aqua Cutter!]"

An explosive flame shot rocked the Night Baron back, while the follow-up huge ice blade finished knocked it off its feet. The mystic armor wobbled ready to tumble back, but then steadied itself, with one forceful foot back. Again we felt the sound and weight of it, and the air quivered with the impression of tightly constrained potential energy.

"This thing is even magic resistant!" I cried out.

Meanwhile the Long-horned Wolves continued to circle around to cut off our retreat. I scowled. Tactics. These monster wolves were behaving far too intelligently.

"Monika, I know you didn't plan this. But how would this thing know where we would appear?"

 _/"It didn't. It's a monster that exists where it is needed. Everyone who has to make an expedition to the Old Capital has to deal with the Night Baron, and no matter how many times it is defeated it always comes back. It's a *ghost*, Player. One that refuses exorcism."/_

"I see." I licked my lips. The course was clear, then.

I slapped an open palm towards the Night Baron "[Air Wall]!" knocking it back. Then I turned around, grabbed Linze in a bridal carry, and shouted "EVERYONE, BREAK THROUGH! INTO THE CITY!"

"Mister Zah!" she eeped.

A single step had me bursting through the clearing. Long-horned Wolves howled and pounced to meet us, their jaws wide open.

To the left. To the right. They died. As Elze and Yae swiftly matched pace to protect us squishy mages in the party.

And quickly we were in sight of the old capital. There were more wolves in front of us. THAT was the reason we were ambushed, monsters had already moved in to make this place their own. No matter where we would go, we would have faced them.

I gestured with my chin to a tall free-standing rampart and tower. "There!"

The pack of Long-horned Wolves howled, following at full speed behind us. But compared to the open clearing, the confines of the city would mean we could face them in smaller numbers. The cramped streets technically would also inhibit our own movement, but that only applied for adventurers who couldn't kick-jump off walls.

Elze and Yae were agile and physically powerful enough for that. Meanwhile, I [Jet Bootsu!]'ed right up to the top floor with Linze still in my arms.

Linze had no hesitation either as soon as I set her down. She pointed her wand down at the city edges and cast [Flame Wall]. The Long-horned Wolves howled in pain, and others tried to circle around looking for the edge. But the [Flame Wall], unlike [Ice Wall], was a mobile barrier.

The Night Baron simple ran through, completely unintimidated by fire, and a deep echoing roar issued forth from inside its empty helm.

"[Aqua Cutter – BLADE TORNADO!]" I yelled out.

Countless sickle-shaped blades of ice erupted from my palms, growing larger over the distance, creating a perfect conical killing zone through which nothing could survive.

The Night Baron simply swung its sword, again and again, and just smashed through the barrage. It was never really alive in the first place.

"Bullhockies," I breathed.

Undead that could feel no pain, knows no fear, would never get tired, and could cleave through whole infantry formations with every swing. One that would never truly be defeated. I could see now why no one felt it was worth it for the kingdom to send expeditions into their old capital. This thing would laugh at armies, if it could exhibit humor.

Soldiers were too valuable to waste on trinkets. Adventurers knew what they were getting into. Regular subjugation of the ruins were necessary to keep monsters from taking root and multiplying. But as long as it existed, no one could ever try to resettle this place and cut the problem off at the root. A thousand years despite everyone's best efforts and all the [Light] magic that they knew, they could never permanently remove it.

"Is it some form of curse?" I wondered. "Did the old capital fall to war and then they, in spitefulness, decided to deny this place to the enemy? Maybe civil war?"

"Foul Necromancy," Linze whispered with a cute scowl. "Doesn't make it right at all."

Elze and Yae yelled back and charged to meet the Night Baron, and from our elevated position now Linze and I could bombard the Long-horned Wolves with impunity to keep them from interfering.

Yae's sword, when reinforced by her spirit, could split boulders without damaging its own edge. Her strikes failed to do anything to the Night Baron's armor. Elze's punch could go through thick tree trunks. Her blows completely failed to make the Night Baron's shield shake.

But at least both were mobile enough to keep from suffering any injury. If it had simply been any normal enemy, Elze could have destroyed and then Yae finished it off with a stab through the eyes. But there was nothing inside to stab!

We would have to destroy the armor itself to destroy the coherence of this abiding warrior's grudge.

 _/"Should I ramp up Elze's [Boost]?"/_ Monika asked.

"That would mean Elze would have to stop attacking for a while to repeatedly stack her [Null] ability. Yae would get overwhelmed." I took out my sword. "I'll have to do down there. Cover me."

"Mister Zah, wouldn't it be best if we killed off all the Long-horned Wolves first?"

"Good point." I put a finger to the side of my headphones. "Elze, can you hold on for a little longer?"

"We can handle it!" she shouted back.

"Linze, wall off the left side please," I ordered. Linze nodded and set up an [Ice Wall] so she could focus on defending the right side.

Then I touched the rim of my VR headset with the tips of my fingers and Monika and I shouted together _/"[MONIKA BEAM! - PULSE MODE!]"/_

Rapid fire lasers burst out from the middle of my brows. Each shot burned through a Long-horned Wolf's skull. Through my HUD I could see each wolf marked with a red targeting triangle. I only had to glance at it, and then it would fall and the target marker turned gray.

As I cast my gaze towards the right side of the battlefield like an angry god, a thin violet beam brushed past the Night Baron. The laser, being mainly heat, did nothing to the spectral armor.

And then, with Linze's help, the remaining wolves on the right were even more swiftly taken down. We had to kill at around forty of them. My vision returned to normal.

I looked down towards Elze and Yae. Their shoulders were heaving a little more visibly, taking deep breaths to stave off battle fatigue. But the Night Baron didn't give them any respite. Unlike a human, which would normally pause for a little while and adjust to the battle tempo, it was always attacking something.

A single hit would mean death. There was no blocking or parrying that massive broadsword. Yae ducked and weaved away from its slashes as Elze tried to strike at its unprotected back.

Her fist smashed against it and left a dent. All it did was to force the Night Baron forward, its sword tip pushing unexpectedly far and grazing at Yae's face. A part of her side hair fringes were cut off – that sword was also impossibly sharp – taking the little white bow with it and leaving a thin red line on her cheek.

"Oh crap! Yae! Sorry!" Elze gasped from her perch clinging onto the Night Baron's back, her hands on the rim of its headless neck opening.

"I am fine, Elze-dono! Please continue!"

She ducked and rolled away. Elze began hammering away at the back of the Night Baron, trying to sever its arms from its shoulders via blunt force trauma – not very successfully, but possible eventually. It roared in frustration.

It reached up to swat at its own back, and if Elze was caught in between she would splatter from its monstrous strength. Elze dropped down, kicked at the back of its knees and with a move she learned from Yae, threw it down to the ground.

"Well done, Elze-dono!"

Then in a move reminiscent of breakdancing, the Night Baron stabbed its fingers onto the ground and kicked out at the same time, pushing its whole body off the ground. The toecap of its boots caught Elze in the midsection, driving the air from her with a pained "Oof!" and flinging her away. She slammed onto the ground, stunned and helpless.

"Elze-dono!"

Yae moved to help but she was too late by just a second.

And then lightning crashed down from a clear sky.

-.

-.


	34. Not a Place of Honor

**Not a Place of Honor**

* * *

-.

-.

In a flash I was by Elze's side. "Elze! How do you feel? Do you taste blood in your mouth?" I didn't say anything as dumb like 'Are you all right?' because patients are dumb like that about trying to get out of their own injuries and that's what [Diagnosis] was for.

"S-shut up, you!" she gasped, case in point. "I'm… t-tougher than that..!" she said, even as she failed to straighten out her spine. "Don't… don't worry about it."

"No, *you* shut up! Armor weave can stop stabs and slashes, but blunt trauma gets past all that and get all these squishy organs bruised and bleeding. Of course I'm going to worry!" I put my hands over her stomach and felt at her soft tissues. She flinched at the touch. Yep, some serious bruising in there. Livers and kidneys and pancreas were considered solid organs and could burst. The abdominal cavity could fill up from internal bleeding.

While I cast [Cure Heal], Elze coughed and pointed behind me. "Shouldn't we do… something about that… instead?"

The Night Baron was getting back to its feet, with my Zanzibar sword-spear stuck firmly in its chest. It would have been faintly impressive to penetrate solid armor with the point, but such an attack was also particularly useless. Pity. It was quite nice custom spellwork to fling my sword like some sort of magic railgun and not have it shatter on impact.

[Lightning] was just conveniently within [Wind] magic affinity after all. Wind magic is best magic. Fite me bro.

"Nah, don't worry about it."

"Strike true, Light! Sparkling Holy Lance: [Shining Javelin]!"

Linze's energy javelin that shone with the warmth of sunlight smashed into the Night Baron from behind, punching straight through the armor and out the other side. The undead wobbled in place and dark purple smoke began to wisp out of the ragged wound. It roared in pain and rage.

"Oh come on!" I roar out. "Undead are supposed to be weak to Light magic!"

 _/"Well this did do a lot more damage than anything we've done so far. It's just not enough."/_

This was probably the reason why it was a Green rank mission. It was easy enough to escape from the Night Baron, it wouldn't chase you. But it was also annoyingly persistent and would give brash young adventurers a good dose of humility.

The Night Baron growled and raised its greatsword. Yae interposed herself between us still there on the ground and the enemy, ready to block that massive blade with her much thinner katana.

While still bent over Elze, I licked my lips and murmured, "Yae. Close your eyes, please."

Yae blinked. That would be the stupidest possible thing, when facing an enemy that didn't have a head or a brain and yet still the pinnacle of the warrior arts and capable of low cunning. This was a poor time to be practicing one's blind fighting skill!

So she closed her eyes. She threw her awareness out just in case, but she refused to move. Hers was a sword meant to protect. A swordswoman must be strong and also strong enough to trust others.

And then she felt only heat.

"Storm. Wrath. [LIGHTNING.]"

Thoom. And then there was only light. The rolling thunder comes from how the bolt of lightning breaks apart the air too quickly, but this was no mere flash. Lightning struck the ground like a hammer and stayed there, sparking and writhing like a chained dragon. The air screamed with unrelenting fury.

Crackle. Crackle.

Thunderbolt and lightning! Very very frightening!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeee.

A hissing sound rose out from the ground. Superheated steam. Vaporising metal. A wall of cold air chuffed against a final shockwave and a piercing echo as the hammer-blow of the gods finally stopped.

As the light and spots faded from everyone's eyes, there was only that electric tang in the air and on the ground a small crater punched into the ground with bits of a boot and gloves one the outside. In the pit still glowed red-hot fused glass.

"I see…" Yae whispered numbly. "Magic resistant is different from magic immune, after all."

Elze stared dully up at me. "Showoff. I could have beat that thing on my own too. I don't need you to rescue me you know?"

I sniffed haughtily. "Then do it faster next time. I'mma kill-steal if I want!" I bared my teeth at her in a shameless grin.

"Ahahaha…" She began to lightly slap my cheeks and her finger trailed down my jaw. "Help me up."

Yae lowered her sword and then stared back at us with a faintly frantic expression. She blinked again, and her face resumed its warrior's tranquility. She coughed into her fist. "So… we have won, yes? Is there anything else we have to do? Elze-dono, Playa-dono?"

And from above we all heard Linze wail "Mister Zaaaah! I can't get down!"

Ahahaha.

-.

-.

"I am underwhelmed!" Elze groused some time later after we made sure no monster beasts would be returning. "In fact I am so under the whelming I should be sinking right now."

 _/"What's wrong? I thought you didn't mind if Player took the kill – you said that as long as it counts for the team, anything is permissible?"/_

"I mean we subjugated the old capital, and what do we get for it? Some coins when we get back? Like we need any more of that! Where's the treasurrre?! Where's the loot?! This place looks like it's already been picked clean!"

I glanced around the ruins. Well I enjoyed the place. This was most of the reason I was prepared to make a backpack tour through Europe. To soak in all these fallen grandeur and tarnished antiquity. I wanted to /taste/ history. The girls were much less impressed. There were old ruins everywhere.

"Say, isn't cut stone valuable?" I mused.

 _/"Linze, dopeslap him for me please."/_

Thwap. Linze, without hesitation, reached out and slapped the back of my head. Heh.

Monika added _/"This is the reason why despite how an [Inventory] system would be so convenient, it's not really much of a priority for me. Don't even indulge Player's hoarding tendencies."/_

"So there's really no chance of finding any more secret treasure or hidden rooms?" Linze whispered despondently.

I crossed my arms and huffed, "Well it's not like we have any sort… of… treasure detect… or….?"

Monika and I stared at each other through the smartphone screen. Linze noticed how my words trailed off and asked excitedly "Do you?!"

 _/"[Ground Penetrating Radar],"/_ Monika said with wide-eyed realization.

"I also know how [Metal Detectors] work…" I added, while raising my hand. Small slivers of lightning sparked between my fingers. I was the absolute master of Wind magic. Fire and Water and Earth better step up their game, because [Wind], my precious element of freedom, also made me a master of [Magnetism].

Linze let out a shriek of glee. Elze groaned and palmed her face. "You have infected my sister with your money-grubbing ways!" Then she looked up, touched a finger to her lips and made a show of thinking about it. "Actually… on second thought, she's always wanted to do that. Buried treasure is a girl's romance!"

Um, I'm pretty sure *romance* is a girl's romance, but as adventurers eh sure that sounds legit.

-.

.-

After a few scanning passes, Monika identified a section of rubble that seemed promising. A whole section of the palace wall had fallen over, and boulders fell on that of that, and then carved pillars on top of that. If these many tons didn't look so accidental, it would have been suspicious how someone definitely didn't want something to be uncovered.

Linze excitedly stepped up to the heap and shouted "Let me!"

She raised her wand high and shouted "Burst forth, Fire! Crimson Eruption: [Explosion]!"

KABOOM.

My face hung slack as the heat and shockwave rippled past. Small stone shards pinged off my helmet as everyone else other than Linze covered their faces. All the rubble was blown apart, what had been a pile of multiton stones tall as a three story building was now left nothing more than flattened scorched land.

… okay. Fire. Fire element just reminded me it doesn't need anything fancy. All it ever asks from you, in all sincere glee, is "Won't you walk the path of [Explosions] with me?"

Linze turned and gave me a hopeful little smile. I slowly raised a thumb up in approval. Um. Good job, Linze? You're overdoing it a bit, Linze? Where did all this sudden zeal come from, Linze?

 _/"Player, she didn't even cast it from a [Supercharge]. That was all just from her internal magic reserves."/_

I was amazeballs. Then I felt the tug of the [Search] spell.

The blast exposed a pair of massive steel doors set into the ground. Looking at the edges, it seemed that it wasn't enough to cover it with debris, they had actually bricked over the doors to hide it even further.

We all combined our strengths to pry it open (though mostly just Elze, admittedly), and suspiciously it opened smoothly with not even a hint of rust or a creak of gummed up-joints. What waited for us was a stone staircase, eerily beckoning us to descend into its lightless depths.

"Am I the only one to get a baaad feeling about this…?" I mumbled.

"You scaaared?" Elze said with a catlike grin. "It's okay, we can turn back." Her grin froze as she stared down the staircase and felt the oddly hot moist air that wafted up. "Y-yeah. I think we've done enough for now. There's.. no need... to push ourselves."

"Let's go!" Linze said firmly, taking that first step down the hole.

-.

-.

As soon as my head sunk down below the lip of the heavy metal doorframe, I stopped. "Huh. That's weird." Hurriedly I ran back up to taste the air outside.

"W-what are you doing?!" Elze shouted, trying to hide her nervousness as she followed to stand by my back. "You can't just run away like that!" Then in a smaller whisper, "takemewithyou."

"Monika, you feel that?"

 _/"Now that you mention it… while [Ground Penetrating Radar] exposes the cavity underground, it is like there's this immense pressure that separates everything else. It's like a preservation seal of some sort? No… the opposite of that."/_

"What? What are you saying?!" Elze began to ask, her tone starting to grow panicked. "What's wrong with this place? What are we going to face down there?! Ghosts? Vengeful ghosts?!"

I walked back downstairs. "This place is magically dead." I looked ahead to see Linze waiting ahead, a small red fireball floating above her hand. "Magic still works though, but for some reason it is completely isolated from magic in the outside world."

 _/"It's not Anti-Magic. More like some sort of Faraday Cage?"/_

"I'm just going to assume it's for historical preservation purposes."

"Of course it's not going to be for historical preservation purposes! Even I know that much!" Elze wailed suddenly. "A city that is guarded by undead above… who knows what's under it! And why is this wall so warm and wet?!" She slapped her hand onto the nearby stone brick wall, and recoiled. "That's not good for preservation!"

"It is like deliberately going down the throat of some monster, isn't it?" I replied gently. Maybe it was just centralized heating. It gets real cold underground, right?

"Don't say it like that!" Elze clenched her fists. "LINZE! Come back!"

"What are you all doing over there?" Linze shouted from below. "Come on! It looks safe!"

"That's not making me feel any better!" Elze moaned.

Linze nooo.

-.

.-

It was a deep spiraling staircase, which was setting off so many SCP-087 vibes(1). Throwing a rock down to hear an echo wouldn't work since it would eventually just ping off the stairs and stop.

Fortunately after some time the stairs ended into a long straight but narrow tunnel, barely large enough for two people to walk side-by-side. Linze walked confidently at the head of the group. Right beside her, I kept blasting ahead with [Air Sense] to check for traps.

Linze now had three fire balls drifting around her raised fingertip. Seeing my curious gaze, she said "These are [Dancing Flames]. Duchess Ellen taught me the spell. It eats up good air and consumes more magic power, which is why many like to use the Light spell Tiny Illumination: [Light Sphere] instead."

"Why use this one then?"

Linze flicked her wrist, and one of the little fireballs shot forth down the corridors, illuminating a straight featureless passageway. It exploded off a side wall, blasting a pit into solid stone bricks. "Because the difference between [Dancing Flames] and [Piercing Flames] isn't much at all."

 _/"Oooh, Little Linze is Lara Crofting all over the place. I LIKE this side of Linze. Don't you, Player?"/_

"Very much," I agreed. Linze blushed and made a 'hawawah' sound.

"S-stop flirting! Stop enjoying yourselves! This place is freaking me out!" Elze moaned. "I'd prefer traps! What's with this… moist air! And that smell…!"

"What smell? There is no smell," I said back.

"That's what makes it so weird! You'd expect some smell of mold or rot, wouldn't you?! Is it a monster? Is it a ghost?! What's going to come out of these waaaalls?!"

"W-what are you saying, Linze-dono! G-ghosts won't come out, no, they would not! I hope not!" Yae shouted out more to calm herself than anyone else.

"Gughk." The two girls were frightfully pulling at my cape so hard I was starting to choke. It was very difficult to walk like that. The eerie pulsating red light caused by Linze's [Dancing Flames] weren't helping.

But eventually the passageway opened out into a large vaulted chamber.

 _/"This… place seems familiar somehow,"/_ Monika said. _/"Dang it, now why is that? Where did I see this sort of thing before?"/_ She turned the glow of the flashlight mode of the headset to maximum.

There were four pillars surrounding a central space. At the far end of the room was a wall filled with pictographic writings. _/"It feels like an Egyptian temple or a tomb, but there's no altar or sarcophagus."/_

I snapped my fingers in sudden realization. "I'm feeling the same way. Now I remember! It's like that place they found the Abydos Cartouche!"

 _/"Abydos cartouche(2)? What do you… aah!"/_

 _/"STARGATE!"/_ we yelled together. And then _/"Everybody stay away from the center of the room!"/_

Elze yelped and quickly flung herself towards a corner. Yae drew her sword and likewise put her back to an oddly warm wall.

"Mister Zah! What's wrong?" Linze asked.

While carefully moving around the room clinging to the stone pillars checking if they were primed to fall, I answered "Search the walls for clues! This is clearly not a dead end."

I looked at the center of the room. It didn't have a distinctive ring symbol etched into it to guide people to stand in the middle and get transported off somewhere. Could maybe still be a pit trap though?

Nah. I had no idea why, but this magically-dead place gave me a feeling of… peace? It was a different sort of earnest serenity to that of a temple, nor the chill silence of a grave, though similar. No, not peace. Perhaps… stasis? Yeah, that was more like it. Like a feeling of something held strongly in place, like a boulder frozen in the middle of a glacier.

We didn't really have to fear the usual arrows and darts flying off the walls or sawblades dropping from the ceiling. Even poison gas traps were nothing to people with Wind magic. But this place probably wasn't trapped – which meant these writings on the wall were *meant* to be read.

 _/"Hmm. Well that's weird,"/_ said Monika. She changed the output of the flashlight into a projector that showed herself reaching running her hand over the pictographs. _/"My autotranslation is having a much harder time trying to get any meaning from these pictographs. They're apparently considered graphics, not text, and as such iconography gathers meaning from its intended audience."/_

I nodded. That was fair. "We'll just have to photograph everything and see if we can squeeze any more money from Charlotte later."

 _/"Player, they're already paying us a lot for renting the digicam and your weekly translation services. Any more of this and you would literally bankrupt the kingdom's magic research grants and Charlotte would have to start thinking about selling her body."/_ She scrunched her nose cutely at me. _/"Is that your motivation?"/_

Nooo. Of course not.

But I was saved by Elze's cry of "I found something!"

-.

-.

Elze pointed to something stuck in the wall in the right side of the room. It was a large muddy brown crystal, though cut like a jewel.

I rubbed at my chin as I inspected it. "This is a magic stone, isn't it? Earth element, I think?"

"It's a spellstone," Linze explained. "From the looks of it, if you get some magic flowing through it, something will happen."

I nodded. "Right." I took a step back and touched my headset. "Monika, is this a false wall?"

 _/"[GPR Scannning…] [Done.] Yes, yes it is. This could still be a trap, but running magic through is probably related to removing this wall."/_

"But if they intended to HIDE something, they wouldn't put such an obvious way to clear the obstacle, isn't it?" I said. So this might be safe. I just hoped those pictographs didn't say something like THIS IS NOT A PLACE OF HONOR. (3)

Linze beamed so happily that it almost hurt me to look at her. "Thank you, Mister Zah! None of us here have the Earth element to explore any further."

"Well, couldn't Elze just punch through instead?" I answered.

"Well I don't want to!" Elze huffed and crossed her arms.

 _/"If I were building this place, that's actually what would trigger my trap. Disrespectful visitors get no mercy!"/_

Everyone else took shelter behind the pillars just in case while I touched the spellstone and channeled some magic through it. The ground began to rumble and shake. Elze screamed "I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!"

And then with a buzz, the wall just crumbled away into sand.

Anticlimactically, it exposed another room.

In contrast to the intricately carved room from before this one was bare and featureless on all sides except for the support pillars, and at the center was a large thing covered in dust and sand. Even a store-room would have been more interesting.

Linze looked so disappointed, it actually did hurt.

"There's no treasure?" she whispered sadly. "Well, there were no traps either… I guess it would be too much to hope to get something good for something too easy."

I frowned. Indeed, even a storeroom could probably have given us some pottery or something for Linze to take home as a souvenir. I strode towards the center of the room to inspect the large beetle-like sculpture(?)/ idol(?) in the middle of the room.

I wiped the dust away to expose that it was made of some sort of glass or crystal. It looked damaged, with its legs already broken off. Monika pulled up some insect samples, and because the back legs of the thing were much longer than a bettle's six roughly similar-length legs, it was more proper to call it a cricket instead. "Maybe this is all made of magic stone? How valuable could that be?"

"Haha, a magic stone big as someone's fist could buy you a kingdom!" Elze snorted. "There's never been stones that big. This thing isn't made of magic stone, I'd know."

I stood up and sighed. The light was fading, Linze's three [Dancing Light] fireballs were dimming; I assumed it silently expressed her dissatisfaction. I reached out to pat her shoulder.

"Cheer up, Elze. Much of archaeology is actually just like this… it's boring, but knowledge is gained through careful delicate work. Not everything can be exciting. Even if this didn't feel productive – well at least we're safe! And now we have something secret only we know!"

I nodded happily, trying to transfer my good spirits over. "We can [Boom Tube] here any time. I can think of a lot of things fun things we could do with a secret underground installation that only we know. We even have a guard in the form of the [Night Baron] on the surface!"

 _/"Your supervillain lair, Player? Sure, why not."/_

Linze looked up. "Mister Zah? What are you saying?" She noticed her dimming lights and tried to push more magic power into them. The fireballs blazed a little brighter and then dimmed again. "I'm… I'm not doing this."

My danger sense immediately went into overdrive.

"Playa-dono!" Yae screamed out suddenly.

I turned around to see that a red orb was now glowing in the crystal cricket-things's head. It began to stir and shake, waking up.

OH SHITE.

 _/"It's absorbing the magic!"/_ Monika shouted in alarm. _/"Player!"/_

THIS WAS NOT A PLACE OF HONOR!

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) (ʰᵗᵗᵖ:/ʷʷʷ.ˢᶜᵖ⁻ʷᶦᵏᶦ.ⁿᵉᵗ/ˢᶜʰᵗᵗᵖ:/ʷʷʷ.ˢᶜᵖ⁻ʷᶦᵏᶦ.ⁿᵉᵗ/ˢᶜᵖ⁻⁰⁸⁷ᵖ⁻⁰⁸⁷)

(2) (ʰᵗᵗᵖ:/ʷʷʷ.ˢᵗᵃʳᵍᵃᵗᵉ⁻ˢᵍ¹⁻ˢᵒˡᵘᵗᶦᵒⁿˢ.ᶜᵒᵐ/ʷᶦᵏᶦ/ᴬᵇʸᵈᵒˢ_ᶜᵃʳᵗᵒᵘᶜʰᵉ)

(3)(ʰᵗᵗᵖˢ:/ʷʷʷ.ᵈᵃᵐⁿᶦⁿᵗᵉʳᵉˢᵗᶦⁿᵍ.ᶜᵒᵐ/ᵗʰᶦˢ⁻ᵖˡᵃᶜᵉ⁻ᶦˢ⁻ⁿᵒᵗ⁻ᵃ⁻ᵖˡᵃᶜᵉ⁻ᵒᶠ⁻ʰᵒⁿᵒʳ/)


	35. The Crystal Creature

**The Crystal Creature**

* * *

-.

.-

I could see the thing's broken legs starting to regenerate. Linze hurried turned off her magic, but it was too late. The room was bright enough with the blood-red light coming from the now pulsating orb inside the odd creature.

DOUBLE SHITE.

Then it SCREAMED.

It was loud-high pitched sound that ripped through the room and reverberated off the walls, directly assaulting our ears with ringing pain. It rippled through us, leaving us twitching as if we had just been electrocuted. It was even starting to physically damage the stone walls and pillars around us.

The room began to shake and loose dirt began to drop from the ceiling. We were going to get buried alive!

TWO GIRLS ONE CUP!

"GO! GO! GO!" I shouted as a [Boom Tube] opened behind up. The Crystal Creature sprang up with monstrous and struck at me with a freshly-regenerated leg ending in a shining sharp spike. I dived for it, and rolled out the other side of the [Boom Tube], eating dirt on the Old Capital's surface.

-.

.-

* * *

-.

.-

I coughed for breath. "THE HECK WAS THAT?!"

Beside me, Elze sagged in relief. She still had Linze slung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

The ground rumbled, and open shaft of the staircase collapsed with a cloud of dust and debris. The underground chamber just caved in, we had underestimated just how precariously it must have been built.

"I have not seen such a creature before, I have not," said Yae breathlessly.

Well this was a world with Crystal Deer, so Crystal Giant Crickets were not all that strange to me. But directly growing off magic? Even our theory of monster beasts getting strong from eating other magically potent beings was not that intense!

Well at least the damn thing's definitely crushed to pieces down there. We wouldn't have gotten anything from fighting it, there's no bounty for what the Guild didn't know. And even the lost historical records would not be so much an issue because we took extensive photographic evidence.

I exhaled roughly, the frantic hammering in my chest starting to ease off. "Well that's okay. Let's just head back now and-"

SKREEEEEEEEEE.

What.

SKREEEEEEEEEE.

That sound! It was definitely… getting louder? Getting closer!

SKREEEEEEEEEEE!

With a sudden crash of splitting earth and a shower of debris, the creature erupted from underground. Now, in the bright sunlight, we could actually see that it had an almond-shaped body with six elongated legs jutting out from underneath. Its translucent crystal body shimmered and shone like water under the sun. An oddly beautiful sight, if it wasn't a living thing – yes, some form of Crystal Creature.

It let out another air-splitting screech and began to move on sickle-ended legs. The slightest movement cut through the stones ruins like a hot blade through butter.

Magic absorption was one thing, but if that thing had a Vorpal effect on those bladed limbs, that was just bullshite. So much bullshite, and I would know, as an existence of cheatery bullshite myself! I call shenanigans!

"Okay, this is CLEARLY out of our Encounter Levels, let's just [Boom Tube] out of here and-"

 _/"I'm afraid we can't do that, Player."/_

"What?!"

Monika flashed a section of the walls in a window over my HUD. _/"Beetles and scarabs are a common feature of Egyptian art, and so we didn't think it unusual to see them on another world's hieroglyphs. But the beetle shows off a lot near to what seems to be a representative of a town being burned or sacked in war."/_

"Waking up the ancient superweapon is / **exactly** / par for the course for Lara Crofting," I sighed.

 _/"See, that's it. I don't think this is a superweapon,"/_ Monika hummed. _/"It seems to be the thing, or things like it, that was actually responsible for destroying the Old Capital. It seems people couldn't beat it so they had to wait for it to starve to hibernation. Or maybe it was lured into a magical formation that sapped magic power."/_

The Night Baron was not meant to defend anything. It was to keep idiots OUT. The reason why that underground complex was so boring because any traps would have made adventurers even more stupidly determined to believe there had to be something valuable down there. With the Night Baron inevitably returning to rampage on the surface, perhaps powered by the magic dead zone underneath, it meant no one would try to stay around and deal with the hassle of re-settling the Old Capital. This made sure the Crystal Creature would remain dormant. For over a thousand years.

Until we bollixed it up. I groaned and palmed my face.

The Crystal Creature turned around and seemed to have noticed us. It let out a loud screech, but didn't approach as long as we kept still. It was bigger now, about the size of an elephant.

"So why can't we just GTFO away?"

 _/"Because then it will likely head for the nearest and largest source of magical energy to devour… which would be the New Capital."/_

"Oh goddamit."

"This… this our fault. No… this is MY fault!" Linze mumbled. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have… I should have listened, Elze! It was too greedy, this is what happens to people who get too greedy! The gods punish it."

"… I don't blame you," her twin replied. "I also don't quite believe that, because dammit Playa here still isn't on fire for all his greed, so clearly as long as you can get away with it, it's FINE." She turned to me and asked. "What do we do now? We fight?!"

"[BOOM TUBE] to THE SUN!"

 _/"Ahahaha, let's try something more modest, shall we? [Boom Tube] to the heart of a volcano for now."/_

"Is there even one nearby? I thought this place was roughly analogous to Europe, which is mostly tectonically stable."

 _/"Is not Italy a part of Europe?"/_ Monika showed a part of the known map. _/"The southern portions of Belfast are formed from meeting continental plates. There's loose islands born of volcanic activity."/_

"Player, whatever you're doing, do it faaast!" Elze hissed, because the Crystal Creature dipped its front with the 'head' as if preparing to pounce.

"Scatter!" I shouted. "Go! Wind! [Burst Leap!]" I roared out next, blasting wind from under my boots and cape shooting me forward to meet its bladed limbs.

SKREEE!

[Boom Tube] normally had an automatic foe-denial function. But since clearly we could throw cargo through, it could discriminate against neutral or no intent. We just had to find a way to turn it off and treat enemies like inanimate objects.

"[Shunt!]" I breathed out and a strong blast of air from the left flung me over the right, narrowly dodging being impaled and allowing the Crystal Creature to pass me by straight into an opening [Boom Tube].

But that alone would not be enough. The ground exploded under my feet as I landed and pivoted and kick-jumped back just to be able to touch its body. An enemy could not follow behind us into a [Boom Tube]. To mark something as a 'friendly', I had to take it with me.

I could only hope that Monika could target the exit point of the [Boom Tube] a good distance out from lava so I could try to rocket away to safety.

The Crystal Creature ran through the open Boom Tube. At the other side were Elze and Linze.

SKREEEEE!

 _/"Player! This thing is Dimensionally Faceted!"/_ Monika screamed out in panicked realization. _/"We can't pull through something that exists in multiple dimensions at once!"/_

 _'What like an Endbringeeerr?!'_ I almost screamed out in panic.

Linze screamed too as the creature emerged out of the bright haze of the [Boom Tube]. Elze stumbled trying to run away with her sister still slung over her shoulder.

"Elze-dono!" Yae yelled and lunged. She put herself in the way and slashed up. If her blade failed to cut through, at least she could knock it away from her skewering her friends. The impact sent bone-jarring force down her arms, but for the same reason her sword could cleave through boulders without chipping, infused with her warrior spirit it managed to withstand its strike without snapping.

But Yae didn't have the equivalent mass, so though at least it bought Elze and Linze enough time to get out of its path, the creature just barreled through the rest of way and knocked her down to the ground.

And then it began to stab down, again and again, almost dancing in place as it aimed to reduce her to little more than shreds of meat.

Yae rolled this way and that, narrowly avoiding its strikes, but she couldn't do that forever. An impossibly sharp and hard crystal leg pierced through her shoulder.

Yae screamed. And now that she was literally nailed down into the ground unable to move, the Crystal Creature raised another forelimb to finish her off. Yae only had the remaining time to see a shadow pass over her face.

Crunch.

-.

.-

"NO YOU DON'T!" Elze screamed and leaped overhead and punched out with full force. "TAKE THIS!"

Wham!

A punch that would have shattered rock and bent inwards steel plate only staggered the creature. But that was enough. Yae let out another grunt of pain as the piercing limb was removed from her body. She rolled away quickly, and left behind a ribbon trail of red blood on the dry dusty-gray ground.

SKRRREEEE!

"Come forth, Fire! Crimson Duet: [Fire Arrow]!"

Whoosh. Whoosh. Bang!

The Crystal Creature didn't even notice Linze's attempt at drawing its attention. The dual explosive Fire Arrows with a limited homing ability, burst against its shell and faded away quickly. Linze scowled. She did that while fully knowing that it was pointless and might be making the enemy stronger, but if it was a magic-eater then she was making herself the better target.

Elze was having none of that, and darted in and out punching and making sure that the creature focused on her instead of her much less physically capable sister.

Wham!

But even Elze's brute strength was reaching its limits. It was absorbing the magic inherent to the [Boost] and making every subsequent punch much less effective as its crystal body hardened.

"[High Frequency Blade!]" I shouted out as I crashed into it from above, smashing my sword onto a leg joint. My sword just slid right off the crystal, leaving at most a small scratch that quickly regenerated. Rules of Nature, why have you failed me?!

In response, it swung the whole limb while I was inside its guard and it couldn't reach me with the bladed tips. "Ugh!" I absorbed the blow by crossing my arms together, and its swipe flung me across the clearing.

In mid-air I made another [Air Burst] to throw myself towards Yae. The samurai girl clutched a hand to her left shoulder, trying to staunch the bleeding. Her pink silk kimono was starting to stain red, a color crawling out in intensity like a flower blooming.

"Over here! You! Come at me! You creepy bug!" Elze yelled and began to throw rocks.

SKREEEE!

The Crystal Creature chased after her. I slid to a stop right beside Yae. "Yae! How are you holding up?"

"M-my apologies…" Yae gasped at me. She sat up, grimacing in pain, but her eyes were still clear and undaunted. "Playa-dono… Monika-sama…"

"For what? You saved Elze and Linze's lives. I should thank you… and I should poke you in the forehead, what the hell was that?! It looked like you were throwing your life away!"

"But… that is my role in this f-formation, is it not? It is an honor to give my life to protect the more important members of the formation. That is the role of the vanguard, it is."

I narrowed my eyes. I flicked open the casing to my VR headset so I could look at her directly with the rear phone camera, a gesture that everyone understood was equivalent to staring them directly in the eyes. "Kokonoe Yae, I value you just as much as Elze and Linze. Don't you DARE consider yourself any less important in this team."

Her gaze didn't even waver. I shook my head, finding that sort of fearless self-sacrifice disturbing.

"Now don't move… I'll get you back to the fight right quick." I put my hand over the wound and winced. The creature's swipe from before also cracked the bones in my left forearm. I quickly muttered the spell [Cure Heal] to close her wound, and then again over my left arm.

"Thank you, Playa-dono. Battling with a healer in the team, that is indeed most… convenient, it is." She touched at the bare flesh of her healed shoulder. The wound had gone straight through and out her back, and had cut the upper portions of her chest bindings. It still stung with phantom pain, but at least she could hold her swords again. "But I understand my role in this formation, please allow me to stand in front of Linze-dono again. All I can do is to put my body in between her and the enemy. My sword is ready. I do not need any more than this, I do not."

I winced again, but this time in worry. I looked away to see that Elze was leading the Crystal Creature into a merry chase through the was just smashing through the buildings without even being slowed down. I could feel that Monika's attention was not on me, but that that she was instructing Elze where to run without having to look behind her. Linze must have given one of her earbuds to Elze when they separated.

"Don't thank me yet. This is way, way, way too high for our level. How do you beat something that eats magic and is composed of such a stupidly hard material that our swords are just useless?"

"I.. I do not know. Blunt weaponry?" If only we had some heavy war maces or a kanabo.

Linze was standing a short ways away, completely ignored by the enemy, her face likewise set in worried concentration. If Yae was feeling less than useful, Linze had to be feeling worse than useless. Anything she could do here was actively detrimental.

I had the same problem, and how ironic it was to feel 'with great power comes great responsibility' at the same time as having that power be so completely worthless. But if we only tried to save ourselves, we would succeed. If we just were willing to accept that would get a whole lot of innocent people killed!

Crystals. Gems. Diamonds. Hard but brittle. My thoughts whirled looking for a solution, but there was nothing around us that was just hard enough to take the punishment of breaking past that magic-eater defense.

Wait. Maybe that-

 _/"Elze, try to get it to chase you through that corner!"/_ Monika shouted out suddenly. _/"I've got an idea! Player! I'm putting a targeting reticule up! Keep your eyes on the monster!"/_

Elze ran with the crystal creature still on her heels, then zigged into a corner. The creature just punched through the building in the way of the L-shaped intersection, and the Elze zagged into another alley and out into the open.

The Crystal Creature emerged in a shower of splinters and stone. /"[Slip!]"/ said Monika, and magic circle appeared under the creature. Its sharp pointed legs abruptly failed to find friction onto the ground and it slid off. The magic circle moved under it, and carried by its initial momentum the Crystal Creature continued to slid right off the clearing to crash into some free-standing curtain walls some distance away.

"Hell yeah!" I stood up and pumped my fist in joy. "Monika, that's awesome!"

"Miss Monika! I thought it absorbed magic?! How did you make it work?!" Linze asked breathlessly as she ran over to us.

 _/"Any magic that hits it directly it can absorb. But indirect attacks apparently could still affect it…! It's… still just something that buys us time. It's still going to be absorbing the ambient magic from that."/_

"But at least now we have a fighting chance. That's still amazing, love. Thank you."

Monika fell silent.

SKREEEEE! The Crystal Creature was starting to sound annoyed.

"Hey Monika!" Elze yelled out suddenly, while holding up her sling. "I need you to make this thing as strong as you can. I'm going to try something too!"

 _/"[Amplify: Durability] [Stack] … [Application: Reinforcement]"/_ Monika stacked and reinforced the sling repeatedly until it was practically indestructible without losing its inherent qualities.

Elze reached behind her to the belt-bag on her back, a similar thing to my fanny pack. All of us now actually had belt bags for sundry items, because pockets were so useful and skirts didn't have any. Elze's was an ammo belt.

She took out a conical lead slug and placed it into the sling. She began to whisper quickly as she spun it between her fingers "[Boost.] [Boost.] [Boost.] [Boost.] [Boost…]"

SKREEE!

The Crystal Creature charged at us. I stomped my foot onto the ground in an Earth Bending stance, pointed my flat right palm at it and shouted "Come forth, Earth! Staunch barrier, [Earth Wall!]"

A thick rock slab rose up out of the ground. The creature simply smashed through. But then I clenched my right hand into a fist, swiftly brought it down to my waist, at the same time raising my left palm out as if slapping a post with a Buddhist Palm. Again, "[Earth Wall!]"

It slowed the creature's charge enough for Linze to finish chanting "Come forth, Ice! Grand Frozen Mass: [Ice Rock]!"

The air cracked over the creature, and with coruscating brilliance under the noonday sun a great mass of solid ice appeared overhead. It came down onto a point, a building-sized ice spike that drove the Crystal Creature straight down into the ground.

It tried to push off the ground, but Monika applied [Slip] again under it, and the Crystal Creature crashed down again.

"[BOOST!]" Elze shouted. "Take this! [BOOST BULLET]!"

Elze pitched forward, letting one strap of the sling free. There was the cracking sound of something breaking the sound barrier. The heavy lead bullet smashed into the Crystal Creature and actually blasted off a small crater out of its shell.

SKREEEK! SKREEEK!

The crater began to shrink and heal over as the iceberg pinning it down began to melt. Nevertheless, it was wounded and in pain.

"BUT OF COURSE!" I shouted in excitement. "THAT'S JUST PURE KINETIC ENERGY! IT CAN'T ABSORB THAT. Magic is making it happen, but once it's under way it's nothing but pure physics. I could understand maybe absorbing energy in the form of lightning or heat… but just things hitting other things? ELZE! YOU'RE A GENIUS!"

"Ehh, for someone who says 'Speed kills' so much, I'm disappointed you didn't figure this out any earlier."

"I could kiss you. Now we have a way to deal with this thing."

Elze scratched at her cheeks with a sheepish look on her face. "Eheheh. Don't say things that can be misunderstood." Then her expression firmed up back into the focused calm of battle. "I can try again. Just keep it distracted."

"Mister Zah… look!" Elze pointed.

The red orb inside the Crystal Creature's head was now glowing almost fire hot.

-.

.-

"That core… that's got to be a weak point," I said, even as I spread open my palms in preparation for casting more spells.

"Can you even really call something a weak point when it's covered by a magic-eater shell? I mean, it's like saying someone's brain or heart is a weak point," said Elze. "Which is kinda true, but at the same time…"

SKREEEEE!

We all winced in pain as the Crystal Creature's scream rang throughout the Old Capital. I breathed out roughly and sent out an [Air Wall] before our eardrums burst. Audible sound was just vibration traveling through the air after all.

What the hell is up with something made out of crystal using sonic attacks?! Are you trying to kill us with irony?!

The Crystal Creature, with one last surge of strength, broke free of the weight on its back and launched itself at us again.

 _/"Slip-!"/_ Monika cast her Null Spell again. The Crystal Creature dug its feet into the ground, outside of the spell circle, and flung up a cloud of dust. _/"Oh no!"/_

Was it even smart enough to realize our spells worked via line of sight?!

"[Earth Wall!] [Earth Wall!] [Earth Wall!]"

The creature just smashed through them with barely any resistance whatsoever, showering even more dust and stone fragments into the air.

 _/"Player, that's not helping!"/_

But it slowed the Crystal Creature enough to allow Yae to pick up Linze in a bridal carry and scarper off to the left side of the field. Elze and I ran to the right.

"How many of those bullets do you have left?" I asked.

"They're still heavy, so… a dozen? No, eleven." Whip- crack. Another pit was blasted out from the Crystal Creature's side. It screeched again in pain and frustration, and spun around to face Elze. "Ten now."

"Let me have a try." Both of us were still running for our life, Elze running ahead. I reached into her belt bag and took out one of the lead bullets. It floated over my palm in invisible currents of electromagnetic force.

Hm. Pure lead was only weakly magnetic, but this was not pure lead. Iron was cheaper than lead, and the little bit mixed in as filler and hardening without compromising weight or ductility made it responsive enough as long as I pumped extra power into it. Monika had to spend another spell slot to harden our electronics against the intense electromagnetic field.

I spun around with my arms outstretched, zeroed in the Crystal Creature in the gap between my thumbs and let loose the "Come, Wind! Opposing forces, Throw! [Rail Gun!]" Fzz-CRACK!

The bullet shot out from between my arms, and smashed out a crater in Crystal Creature's head. It was about the size of Elze's own [Boosted] sling. There were geometric limits to how fast a sling could spin its projectile no matter how much [Boost] could be applied to it or velocity imparted from the length of the launch rail.

The recoil pushed me back off my feet. Elze stumbled.

"For every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction," I said. "The faster we can throw, the more damage… but didn't you feel it? The more your tried to spin your sling…"

"Yeah, I was starting to lose my balance." She calmly stared at the Crystal Creature as it screeched again in pain and rage. The red globe inside glowed brighter again, and the air in front of us misted up as the [Air Wall] absorbed its sound pulse. Had it been facing an army or regular mages, ears would be bleeding right now. Helpless, disoriented people, soon to be dead meat.

That was actually somewhat clever. I had no idea if it was sapient, but it was clearly something that leveraged its strengths well. Its leg movements began to jerk about erratically, to throw off our aim if we tried to hit the same spot over and again.

Tch. What could we do? Should I boost up to suborbital height for a Kinetic Kill Vehicle? Accuracy problems on landing means we need a better way of immobilizing the enemy. Mmm. Something something, the shaped charge jet of an anti-tank rocket? How could we possibly apply that in this fight?

Wait.

"I have an idea. I've got to tell Yae. Elze, keep it busy for a little longer."

She grimaced, and nodded as I asked for half her remaining lead bullets. I took four out of the nine remaining bullets.

We broke off running in opposite directions. Elze threw another bullet to take its attention. Four remaining.

-.

.-

I put my hand on Yae's shoulder and asked, "Kokonoe Yae. Are you ready to be strong?"

She actually looked puzzled at why I would be asking such an obvious question. Then I explained my plan. "But that would leave Linze-dono unprotected…?"

"I'll be fine by myself," said Linze. "Mister Zah, you're not going to miss, right?"

"Linze, we don't know what killing the enemy by cracking its core will do. It can maybe just kill it quietly, or it explodes from all the magic it absorbed. I'm not the most important piece in this plan. I won't fire until you're ready.

She smiled slightly and shook her head. "Don't worry about me. As long as I can help in that little bit…"

Yae and I stood up at the same time. And behind us Elze screamed "DAMMIT YOU GUYS I HAVE ONLY TWO SHOTS LEFT! GET THIS THING AWAY FROM MY BUTT!"

Elze ran for her life, and if it had been any other situation it would have looked funny as hell with her full-length strides making her look like the Roadrunner being chased by Wily E. Coyote. But as much as I trusted Elze most of all to survive on her own, we were out of time.

I nodded. "Keep it distracted. I'll be right be right back."

-.

.-

Boom.

Klang. Klong.

Out from a [Boom Tube] oriented horizontally dropped the pair of heavy steel doors from before. The tunnel to the underground installation had collapsed inwards, but the heavy steel doors remained intact. And fortunately for me, also ripped out from its hinges. A vault door was only as strong as the frame and walls it was attached to, after all.

I emerged to see Yae desperately trying to cut at the Crystal Creature's legs and Elze on the other side. Her punch could actually shatter a leg, but only one at a time. The creature slumped, and began to whirl around like a dervish, two its legs held out like blades.

The shattered leg regenerated quickly.

"Over here!" I shouted as I dropped out the the [Boom Tube] and closed it behind me. The noise and the swell of magic power instantly drew the Crystal Creature's attention. Elze and Yae ran towards me, the creature following close behind.

I stomped on the ground, raised both my arms with my palms facing upwards and shouted "[Earth Pillars!]" Two rock spikes rose from the ground to tilt up the door slabs.

The Crystal Creature could smash through rock slabs and icebergs. What about actual solid metal, then? Could they be effective brute barriers to trap and bind it then?

No, that was not the plan.

Fzz-CRACK! Fzz-CRACK! A pair of [Rail Gun] shots struck at a single spot in close succession. The much deeper crack made it flinch, and it moved to prevent any more strikes at that weak point in its shell while it regenerated.

/"[Amplify: Strength. Amplify: Endurance.] [Stack.] [Amplify: Strength. Amplify: Endurance.] …"/ Monika began to compile her spells.

Yae and Elze reached out and each grabbed at the edge of a heavy door slab. And heaved.

[Amplify], unlike [Boost], was a linear instead of an exponential increase. It did have something going for it that it was possible to ramp up much faster in multiples of existing strength even though it could never ramp up as high as [Boost]. While the latter remained superior as a general strength enchantment, there was also how [Amplify] didn't need to be muttered quickly under one's breath like Elze's rapid chants of [Boost].

In a second, Yae and Elze acquired fifty times their strength. Assuming they could lift 30 kilograms quickly in a hurry just with one of their arms, now each girl's fingers dug into the metal and quickly picked up the door. With the power to carry 1.5 tons in each arm, they spun around and just SMASHED the incoming Crystal Creature in between the two thick metal slabs.

Spindly-looking yet unimaginably hard crystal limbs splintered inwards and broke. The Crystal Creature slid to a sudden stop, its head carving a furrow into the soil.

It started to pick itself back up and –

Wham.

Elze and Yae, Superwomen of Belfast, struck at its back legs, shattering them, and sending the rest of the creature crashing down.

It began to use stored magic power to regenerate and –

Wham.

Elze and Yae reared up and smashed the heavy steel doors over the spot protecting its core. It had to focus on regenerating damage there instead.

SKREE-

Wham.

SKRE-

Wham.

SKR-

Wham. Wham. Wham. Wham.

The Crystal Creature let out this single sustained high-pitched note that somehow communicated a state of being so grievously / ** _insulted_** /.

"Ahahahaha!" Yae began to laugh. She hammered down at the Crystal Creature in a smooth alternating cadence like pounding mochi on New Year's.

"Ahahahaha!" Elze joined in. "Why are we laughing?"

Wham.

"Is this how you feel all the time, Elze-dono? This power! This… ease! This knowledge you could destroy anything you touch. I feel like I understand now why you are always so relaxed."

Wham.

"I wonder if this is why Playa-dono is likewise always so… impetuous."

Wham.

"No, I'm pretty sure he's just a big ol' manchild," Elze answered. Wham. "Wait, where is he now anyway?"

SKR-

Wham.

WREEEE!

-.

.-

I had retreated about a kilometer away. Once again I was holding my arms straight out, palms open and thumbs up. Invisible currents of power writhed in between the gap, and through anchor points all the way out there. My sword levitated within the confined magnetic field.

I waited for the signal. Not even the steel doors could withstand being hit with such force, were it not for Monika also [Amplifying] its own structural strength and density. The Crystal Creature could sap that magic power to heal itself, but we hoped that the damage was happening too fast too often to overcome its regeneration rate.

"We've broken through!" I heard someone shout.

 _"/Now, Linze!"/_

Elze and Yae hammered at the Crystal Creature one last time, and then rammed the doors into the ground on either side of its head, pinning it in place.

They leaped backwards, and almost immediately overpowered and overlapping [Aqua Shell] ice shields covered them.

"[LONG RAIL GUN.]"

SHRECK.

The recoil flung me backwards, almost ripped my arms out of their sockets. I could feel some bones crack. I was on fire. The air was on fire.

And Zanzibar, my sword-spear, sprung out at around Mach 7.

Boom. Although weighing only about 2 kilograms, but traveling at almost 8500 kph, the sword struck with the force equivalent to the main gun of a main battle tank. Crystal shards just burst out all over the place.

An echoing rumble passed through the Old Capital.

As I landed flat on my back, my last thought was _/'I should think of a more impressive name for that spell, rather than just [Long Rail Gun]. Maybe [Spear of Lorentz]? [Hypervelocity Driver]?'/_

 _"/Player! Heal yourself!"/_ Monika was shouting. _/"Player! Listen to me! Don't- don't fall asleep!/"_

"… gotta have... make... auto… doc…"

Everything was red. I closed my eyes. I was still on fire.

-.

.-

"Sir Zah!"

"Ow. Ow. Oww…"

I slowly sat back up. This was why should you always have at least two healers in the party!

"Dammit, Playa!" Elze grabbed me by the collar and hauled me up. "You didn't tell us the backlash to you would be this bad."

"That's to be expected. I turned off the spell protections that would normally isolate the magic channel from the environment," I explained reluctantly. "I couldn't risk it absorbing any extra magic energy from the attack. It had to be nothing but pure speed. Pure kinetic energy."

I tapped at her hands and she let go. I didn't let go of one of her hands, and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry about it. I'm not suicidal. There's only about as much risk to me as your [Boost] punching through a load bearing wall and collapsing it over yourself.

This dainty yet powerful fist should know. "The magic itself isn't dangerous, we just have to pay attention to what we want it to do."

Elze pushed at me and pouted. "W-well… fine. At least everyone's okay now. Nobody got hurt except the idiot."

"Are… are you okay now, Mister Zah?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for healing me, Linze." My clothes were somewhat singed, but only the parts that weren't armor weave. Yay for Zanac.

 _/"He's fine."/_ Monika sighed. _/"I am fine with this. This really doesn't give me much confidence about your future battle plans… but at least it worked. Elze, Yae, thank you for your efforts too."/_

Elze just gave a nonchalant shrug. Yae let out a humorless little laugh.

"Strong…" Yae whispered numbly. "You are all too… strong." The samurai girl smiled sadly at us and turned away.

I blinked. "Um. What's wrong?"

"Magic… is very powerful. My road to finding my own strength is still long, it is." She took a deep breath and turned back to face us. She bowed at each of us in turn. Me, then again towards me for Monika, then Elze and then Yae. "My sword… is still at your service, meager as my strength may be."

"Um. Okay. Thank you? Don't sell yourself short, it's good to have you fighting with us. We couldn't have done it without you."

Her fists began to clench, but she opened them again forcefully. "Hai."

-.

.-

We made our way back towards the clearing, and the blasted remains of the Crystal Creature. Such was the devastation none of us was sure if the core actually exploded at all. Even the metal door slabs were bent and misshapen.

Elze whistled. "I can't believe we did all this."

"And no one can ever know. We saved the kingdom. From a danger we made ourselves." Now I was leery of even accepting the reward for clearing the Old Capital, because much of the ruined city was now just *gone* and I was not sure if the Night Baron would still return.

On the positive side maybe this place could now open to resettlement? Reporting it would subject us to a lot of annoying questions though.

I looked around again and rubbed at my chin. "Well… crystal is crystal. Maybe these Crystal Creature shards could still be useful? It's difficult to find large enough pieces of crystal for sculpture, I think. Maybe I could have a prize goblet made, or something."

"Dang it, Playa!" Elze moaned.

But we all picked up all the shards we could carry. We found a large chunk of the creature's abdomen, looking like a crystal boulder. There were also some leg pieces that we could maybe grind into blades. If the crystal retained the ability to become stronger in the presence of magic, that would be cool too. If not, decorative crystal daggers and swords would surely sell.

Carrying the crystal pieces into town would be too eye-catching. Specially the largest piece, it wouldn't fit into any doors. So it was decided we would have to [Boom Tube] directly into the Silver Moon Inn's back yard. We all wanted a nice warm bath soon after.

-.

.-

Boom.

And shortly after we exited, Micah rushed out and angrily shouted "I THOUGHT TOLD YOU TO STOP DOING THAT?! STOP DESTROYING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTY VALUES YOU MOROON!"

Wow ever since we became business partners instead of customers, Micah's respectful behavior sure just disappeared, huh?

And then from behind her, a tall, thin man with long stringy hair very much like a younger Severus Snape appeared and pointed at us accusingly. "ZAH PLAYA! ZA PLAYAH VON CHARA!"

Then in a softer much more friendly tone "Also, Misses Silhoueska, Miss Kokonoe, hello."

And then louder again "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING?! WHILE YOU WERE OFF HAPPILY GALLIVANTING SOMEWHERE, THE KINGDOM IS IN DANGER!"

-.

.-

-.

.-

-.

.-

* * *

AN:

Sorry for the delay in updates.

This is the consequence of Playa and Monika not having the convenient skill of 'Aports'. Everybody has to contribute and get to feel good about their victory.


	36. The Case of the Royal Family

**The Case of the Royal Family**

* * *

.-

-.

"Oh hi, Alan. How have you been? Please allow me to address your questions in order:

"First off – we are Adventurers. We had an adventure. That's what we Do.

"Second, we left at just after sunrise. So… what, five hours?

"Third, and…? So? How is that relevant to me? I'm an Adventurer, not a Soldier. I'm not sworn to anyone's service."

He answered blandly "The king has been poisoned and is near death."

I winced. "Oooh. That is SUPER relevant then. Wait. Am… am I a suspect?"

Micah immediately dived for cover under the counter. Alan scowled at me. "Do you have a guilty conscience? Bah. Whatever. No, we have the suspects already in hand. The whole castle is in lock-down. No one goes in or out, but the Duke ordered me to get you in a hurry anyway."

"How long has it been? Did you ride here from Alephis, or… did you put down a teleport circle inside the inn?"

"I got here just a couple of hours ago, yeah." Alan gestured behind him, and a glowing purple spell circle appear in the middle of the room. "Charlotte nagged me into putting down a [Portal] endpoint last time we were here. Her crazy decision turned out to be good in the end."

I nodded. "Well, even though I'm not a Belfastian citizen, it's still to everyone's best interests to help. Elze, Linze, Yae. You want to come along?"

"The fewer people that know about this, the better," Alan warned. "You all here know about because I told you, but if you bring anyone else along that's more people that other people will know that they know about it. If the king dies… none of you are ready for how this will explode through the kingdom. Those who are there when the king dies, ignorant people might think they're involved, you know?"

"I might need an assistant, you know?"

"While you're dithering around here, a little girl is watching her uncle die in front of her, you know?"

I grit my teeth. "Ugh. You sure know how to SUPER MOTIVATE someone. I didn't teach Sue that Triage spell [Homo Stasis] for this." I turned to the girls and said "I've got to go. I'll try to get back with news as soon as possible."

Linze clasped her hands together and cried out "Take care, Mister Zah!"

"All right, let's [Boom Tube] out of here-"

"You blow a [Boom Tube] into the palace, everyone's going to think it's under attack. Just… get in the circle."

-.

.-

You know how Portkeys in Harry Potter was describe as being dragged through unfathomable space via your navel? Instantaneous transport via [Portal] was unpleasant like that. [Boom Tube] was a tunnel that you could walk or even roll through. I mentioned how much I preferred that experience.

"It's perfect for a showoff like you, but some of us have real work to do that need some discretion," Alan sneered as we rushed up towards the king's bedroom.

As we ran through a second floor landing, we came across a plump man with a toad-like face pacing across the hallway. His beady eyes narrowed even further upon seeing us. "You there! Where do you think you're going?"

"Count Balza. You know me. I'm with the Royal Guards. Please excuse us, we have urgent business."

"Tch. Maybe. But who are you bringing to His Majesty's side? We have it bad enough that the filthy animals have tried to kill our king, this is no time to bring in suspicious people!"

Alan gave him a look that all but stated /'You're the suspicious one!'/ Instead he just said "Please move out of the way, milord. I am on orders from the his Majesty's brother, the Duke Ortlinde." He was very careful not to mention my name, though given how eye-catching was my outfit this anonymity would not last anyway.

The Count gave us a wide repulsive smile. "Heh heh heh. That Duke is far too sympathetic to the likes of things like a beastman. If word of this gets out, and the beast doesn't get her head chopped off and sent back to Mismede, I wonder what the other nobles will think?"

Alan grit his teeth.

"Oh, wait. It's not him that's next in line for the throne, isn't it? It's our poor sweet little Princess Yumina. Heh heh heh. I wonder what that sweet young thing will have to do to get the support of the nobles behind her. A good war needs a strong leader… a real man!"

"Let's go. Ignore him."

"Heh heh heh…!" his mocking laughter followed us as we rushed past him towards the stairs.

-.

.-

"Who the heck was that?" I asked as we neared the King's Bedroom.

"Don't worry about it. Just focus on healing His Majesty. If he dies, that's only when his ilk gets any importance. We're putting the kingdom's fate in your hands, Sir Zah." Alan scowled with worry.

He paused near the door and waved me to continue. "Go on. I have work to do, we have to make sure no news gets out, and no one gets to escape. I need to go check that they haven't been… mistreating… the Mismede ambassador. If they can make it seem like she tried to escape, the guards will kill her and we get that war anyway."

Alan rushed away again. The guards announced my entry as 'The doctor Zah Playa'.

"Sir Zah!" both Duke Ortlinde and Sue stood up excitedly. Both of them looked a little worn out. Even Sue's eyes looked a little dark.

"Milord. Sue." Then I looked at the figure on the bed. "And this must be His Majesty. What is his condition? If even I can afford to give my team some poison resistance equipment, shouldn't he have all sorts of anti-poison magic items to prevent this sort of thing from happening?"

The Duke looked towards a rotund bald man standing near the bed. The court physician answered "His Highness does have the strongest poison protection magic available. The poison was just that strong to almost kill him before the magic could slow down or stop it."

I hissed. "Toxins that strong would almost instantly cause brain damage even if we could purge it out his body."

"That is my fear as well," the Duke added.

"Pardon my intrusion, my lords. But you are Sir Von Chara, is that right? I have heard about you from Miss Charlotte." Specifically, Charlotte had been bothering the royal doctor about his medical books, and had him verify every new thing she learned from eavesdropping on Sue's lessons. "I am Raul. Could you please tell us more about this spell… [Homo Stasis]?"

"I… I couldn't do anything!" Sue wailed. "If only… if only I studied a little harder…"

"Don't blame yourself, Sue. Even if you studied a little harder, our syllabus wouldn't have covered toxins until much later anyway. Your lessons and range of spells is supposed to turn you into a General Practitioner or Battlefield Medic. It takes very specialized knowledge to deal with venoms and toxins."

Then to the doctor, "[Homo Stasis] is exactly that – it puts humans (and humanlike beings) into stasis. Strictly speaking it's not even a medical spell, it's a [ Time ] spell. You all did very well to rush Sue to cast it. It probably stopped any further degradation from happening."

"It's that powerful?!" the doctor gasped, looking wide-eyed at me and then the little girl. "The Battlefield Medic… oh, how many lives that could save!" It would simplify triage SO MUCH if the most serious cases could be put into timestop until they could be attended to by the limited number of physicians.

I approached the stricken monarch, and noted the resemblance between him and the Duke. Compared to Alfred Ernes Belfast, who longer back hair and wider handlebrush mustache, the King had full beard and shorter cut blond hair. He looked somewhat like an Obi-wan Kenobi, I guessed. "May I?"

"Go ahead. Do whatever you can to help," said Duke Ortlinde.

"[Diagnosis.]"

 _/"Player, this is definitely some form of neurotoxin."/_ With a sound like breaking glass, Monika appeared beside me in a full-sized hologram. _/"There are no external allergic symptoms like with the venoms of snakes, stinging insects and jellyfish. It's probably more related to Batrachotoxin than anything._

 _/"How was it delivered?"/_

The doctor flinched back from her sudden appearance. "A… a ghost? Um. No, calm down…" He then answered much more evenly "His Majesty was drinking from wine given as a gift by the ambassador to Mismede. What is… batrachotoxin?"

"It's a type of poison from golden tree frogs."

Raul began nodding. "Yes, yes, something like that was my thought too. It's poison from an animal, not a plant. It's too deadly to be otherwise."

"Some of the most poisonous creatures in the world live in the Sea of Trees south of Mismede," said the Duke. "That's what makes this so… troublesome. It is believable that of all people, it's the beastkin from Mismede who could acquire that toxin."

"Right. I'm going to need to see this poisoned wine."

Duke Ortlinde called for the guards, and after a while they brought the wine and the wineglass the King was drinking from. I blinked.

 _/"Wait… Player, don't you think...?"/_

"Yeah."

We cast diagnostic spells and it was as we expected. "This wine isn't even poisoned. The poison was laced onto the wineglass."

The Duke looked up sharply. "Are… are you sure?! You do know what that means, right?"

"Well if I wanted to assassinate somebody, that's how I would do it." I shrugged. "It would be much simpler compared to having to infiltrate someone else's compound and switch their gifts. If the poisoned party drops the glass and it shatters, it's also nicely self-removing of any evidence."

I pointed at the Duke. "Praise whoever secured this wineglass immediately. You were all so very very lucky it didn't shatter."

"Treason!" the Duke hissed. "How dare they?! All this time… first they dared to try to touch Sue, now they are brave enough to actually try to murder their king?! Unforgivable! Tristwin! I won't let them get away with this! The streets of the capital with run red with their blood! I won't care if they think I've become a tyrant who will benefit from your death, or a puppet of Mismede – I'll purge them all!"

Doctor Raul coughed into his fist to keep the Duke from raging out of control. "Ahem. Ahem. Perhaps before vengeance is sought, we might consider first if His Majesty can be cured?"

"Monika, would an antivenom work here?"

/"Not really. The antibodies produced from injecting small amounts of venom into cattle and then collected as a vaccine for poison resistance would only work against weaker venoms that don't kill almost instantly."/

"Sir Zah… it's… it's brain damage, right? Is there something you can do to help?"

Behind Sue, the Duke Ortilinde glared at us accusingly. Duchess Ellen was willing to wait for Sue to be able to cure her mother herself. But if we were to keep on hiding our abilities at this point, that would be unforgivable.

"Mmm. Yes. Well unlike Duchess Ellen, this only happened… what, this morning? So he would only lose half a day instead of five years of memory."

.-

-.

Thus, Monika cast [Rewind] and the King was blanketed with a bright white glow that faded away into a man with fuller cheeks and less deathly pallor.

He opened his eyes and yawned, as if waking up in the morning. He blinked. "Alfred? What are you doing here? And Sue too? Doctor Raul." And then upon noticing me, "And who is this (suspicious) person? Why are you all in my bedroom?"

A bit anticlimactic, but even TV medical drama was largely about trying to find the proper solution to an ailment, and the uncertainty if the treatment would be effective. There was also the desperation about the price and availability of treatment. None of these things were relevant to Healing magic.

And then he was informed of everything that happened in the lost hours of his day. "THOSE IMBECILES DID *WHAT?!*"

Even I winced at the raw overpowering fury in his roar.

.-

-.

"Darling!"

"Father!"

But most important things first, as soon as word could be given that the King was awake, the Queen and the Crown Princess rushed to his side. They had originally wanted to stay in the room to watch over him, but [Homo Stasis] meant he could neither wake up nor get better. Now they both flung themselves into his arms and hugged him for all their worth.

There was real warmth with them, this was not a royal family that saw each other merely as tools for prestige. King Tristwin stroked at his wife's hair as she cried into his arms, his own eyes barely able to hold back his tears.

"Oh my dear, I thought for sure that this time, I had lost you…"

"That's what I should be saying, you silly man!"

The Queen Yuel Ernea Belfast was a tall woman who looked far younger tha her years. Her blonde hair was a much lighter shade compared to the King's, the sides tied back and up to a bun, and the rest reached down in a wave past her hips. Her pale skin blushed red over her shoulders. Her pale purple bodice was cut scandalously low exposing the luscious swell of her back and breasts. She had green eyes.

The Crown Princess Yumina Ernea Belfast hugged her father's waist from the other side. She smiled in relief, taking in his warmth, and then looked up towards me. Her blond hair was much like her mother's a lighter platinum blond instead of Sue's deep corn-yellow. She was a teenager a bit older than Sue, and wore a frilly white dress with green accents. Her eyes were very noticeable, heterochromic blue in the right and green in the left.

Her gaze passed through the other people entering the room, following the huge whiskered man in the deep blue medaled military uniform. This man tromped over to me and asked "So… you are the mysterious doctor that saved His Majesty?! I am Leon Blitz, general of the Army. Please accept my thanks!" He put a fist to his chest and bowed deeply. "You need only to ask, I will do anything in my power to repay you for this great favor!"

I copied the gesture. "It is my honor to help. Don't worry about it. I am Zah Playa von Chara, and it's only lucky that the people I just so happened to be acquainted with decided to look to me first before any other solution."

He looked at the epaulets of my own outfit and its faintly military style as well. "Might I know to what order you belong, Sir Chara?"

"None. Not anymore, at least. I am an adventurer."

His thick brows narrowed in confusion. "Truly? How… odd. How would you like to become a named officer instead? We could start you off with a cavalry command. Or… ah! Perhaps it is not respectful of me to talk about rewards ahead of what His Majesty might grant. But do know that I am ready to assist in addition to that, just let me know."

I smiled thinly. "Thank you. Titles and such, I'm not interested. But it's always good to speak with other soldiers now and then. Politics is… such a messy business."

"Hah! True enough, true enough." General Blitz nodded. "Very well then, please excuse me. I also need to speak to His Majesty about the state of the castle's security." He bowed again and moved away.

Exposing that the Princess, now seated with her father, was still staring at me. She was certainly a beautiful girl, with her mother's slim and delicate build. Her slender face and sharp features made her seem like a crystal sculpture, too unbearably precious to touch. She was the very definition of the flower of the nobility.

Well… a white crystal flower, compared to Sue who was more like a fluffy pink marshmallow. She was beautiful, but Sue was cute with these squishy cheeks that you couldn't help but to pinch and hug and protect her foreverrr!

Huh. The Princess' gaze sharpened all of a sudden.

That intense silent stare… you dare challenge me? Leaving aside how my eyes were covered and as such it would be difficult to prove that I blinked, this was an unfair stare-off. Linze had been giving me yandere eyes. Monika had been watching me sleep. I was no stranger to weird looks.

I leaned against the wall and jutted out my chin. Bring it on!

Princess Yumina's eyes narrowed slightly, and she almost blinked. Then she resumed staring.

Stare.

Staaaare.

Girl, I had a white cat with heterochromic eyes exactly like yours! I loved the heck out of that cat. Then we gave away her kittens and she ran away and never came back...

... Aw, now I just have a sad.

Staaaaaaare.

"Sir Chara!"

I blinked in surprise at the sudden shout. The King stood up, grinning, and beckoned to introduce me to his family. The Princess raised a gloved hand to hide her lips. Her eyes glittered with merry satisfaction.

Dangit.

-.

.-

The King's hands were shaking slightly as he poured himself a new safe glass of brandy. It was not fear. It was rage that shook him so. "It's not every day…" he began to whisper. "It's not every day a man gets a second chance at life." He stared powerfully at me and then at his brother. "When I heard about this young man who saved my niece's life, and then hired on as a tutor for medicine… never did I expect this.

"You have done more than just save my life. You have saved this kingdom from eating itself alive. I owe you a debt gratitude that I can't even begin to describe. Tell me what you want, and if it is at all in my power, I shall have it done. Do you want a title? There shall shortly be some titles and lands that will soon be… open for assignment."

"Ahaha…" I scratched at my cheeks, embarrassed. "Saving the kingdom twice in one day is certainly not how I expected this to go…"

"What was that?" Duke Alfred asked.

"Um. Nothing. I mean… I'm quite comfortable right now. There's really not much in my life I'd really want, you know?" I opened my arms out in a helpless shrug. "I'm already getting all the research I need with Charlotte, there's not much that can be done on that front. Adding more manpower or budget would only confuse the issue."

The King quirked an eyebrow at his brother, who merely shrugged too in answer. "Sir Zah Playa von Chara values his independence. Titles and land would just tie him down."

"And yet for such a free person, he was in the right place at the right time to save us all. This is almost a miracle." The king sighed and gestured with his wine glass. "Mere money would be an insulting way to repay this service. An open-ended favor for later… is not enough to show my appreciation right now. You see my problem here, Alfred?"

"Wait, pardon me, it's not actually MY power that healed you, you know? There's someone else you should be thanking."

 _/"If Player did not wish for it to happen, no one would be healed. And I have even LESS need for any riches or acclaim. Player, go accept everything in my stead."/_ Monika's voice came out of the walls.

"A young man bonded to a spirit of knowledge." The King took a quick shot from his glass. "Miraculous indeed." Then he stared at me very carefully over the rim of the glass. "Showering you with gifts and my patronage… that might not be a good thing at this point, this I have just realized."

I nodded and leaned back on the chair. "It's not over after all. There's still the guilty party to punish. If they can get at you, certainly they can get at other people around you. If they dare to do this now… then they can try and try again. They only need to succeed once."

The King of Belfast grumbled like a lion. "Those bastards! They take me too lightly! If they want war, they'll have it! I won't let me try anything that will harm my family any more. Alfred! We'll mobilize the troops! It's time to carve the rot out of this country!"

The Duke Ortlinde held out his hands, almost ashamed."Ahh. Tristwin… while I was quite ready to do that when it looked like you were about to die, now that I think about it, we can't just attack everyone who has ever disagreed with us, you know?"

Nobility had its privileges but then also the duty to raise troops. A kingdom like Belfast could not afford a professional national army. Regulus was large enough to field Legions, but Belfast did not have a Napoleon to reorganize its forces.

"I have done my best to deal fairly with these people! I have tried hard to continue our father's reforms without being called Tristwin the Tyrant, as enough nobles and common folk still feared what he needed to do after seizing power from his father, and what he had to do to win the war against Regulus. These people have grown fat off my kindness, and arrogant! Examples must be made!"

He sat down and roughly exhaled. "After what they tried to do to Sushie… Alfred, just give me a name. Any name."

"Your Highness…" I spoke up slowly. "It is not the fear of intense penalty that inhibits criminals. For of course no matter the severity, criminals do not think they would ever be caught. It is the guarantee of being discovered, it is the swiftness of being punished. That is what prevents malfeasance."

"That is just what I said. I can't afford to sit on this."

A small smile crossed my lips. "You need to have this done today. By tonight, you should raid the perpetrator before anyone has the time to destroy evidence or flee with their riches."

"Yes. What is your point, Sir Zah Playa?"

"I'll be honest here, I don't care much about your political situation. But you are good people, and kidnapping children and attempted regicide crosses the line. I have a name." I raised my own little glass of amber liquid. "Count Balza."

The brothers turned to me and I explained "That's the name of the person that accosted us on the way here."

The Duke nodded. "How fortuitous. I was about to say that name as well."

I smirked as Monika replayed the conversation.

.-

 _.- "Heh heh heh. That Duke is far too sympathetic to the likes of things like a_

 _.- beastman. If word of this gets out, and the beast doesn't get her head_

 _.- chopped off and sent back to Mismede, I wonder what the other nobles_

 _.- will think?"_

 _.-_

 _.- "Oh, wait. It's not him that's next in line for the throne, isn't it? It's our_

 _.- poor sweet little Princess Yumina. Heh heh heh. I wonder what that_

 _.- sweet young thing will have to do to get the support of the nobles_

 _.- behind her. A good war needs a strong leader… a real man!"_

.-

The brothers looked at me, and then at each other. "All right. Just from that, he has to die," said the King.

"I suppose knowing that no conversation with you can ever be truly confidential should be discomfiting, but right now I just don't really care," said the Duke. "I trust you. A more guilty person I have never seen."

And Monika whispered _/"Player, consigning someone to death just because he has a loathsome personality, are you really mentally prepared for that?"/_

My conscience would never be bothered by helping certain people achieve the Darwin Awards they're so moronically working so hard to claim.

"I agree, it should be largely an open and shut case." I shrugged. "He's just a mere Count though. Isn't he a little too low to benefit from this? It's so stupid to be here in the middle of the assassination plot that even I'm feeling that it's too damn obvious that I almost can't believe it.

"Can anyone REALLY be that stupid and so needy with instant gratification that'd he would risk being caught out just to see it happen with his own eyes. And then TAUNT the bereaved with 'nya nyah, you can't prove anything!'"

"Yes," said the King.

"Sure," said the Duke. "Happens all the time."

"There are a lot of cretins in the nobility," King Tristwin added.

I sighed. "What is known about Count Balza?"

"Mmm. As far as I know, he has no wife nor children. His relatives are all vigorously opposed to letting demi-humans integrate into our society…" said the Duke. His eyes narrowed as he realized the implications.

I nodded. "He's just too disposable. Looks like he's also being set up to be killed off in glorious revenge."

"But if you were not around, he… they… would have succeeded!" the king roared. "They do not test me. If after my death Alfred decided to destroy him, the other nobles would rally together rather than feel they're next. Whatever confessions we would be able to get from him, no one would trust it.

King Tristwin then sighed. "I will still destroy him though, do not doubt me on that."

Duke Ortlinde began to laugh. "In hindsight, the whole scheme is just that easy to figure out; if it's not in the wine, obvious it's in the glass. But no one will fully believe the ambassador's guilt. War will happen, if not immediately then as a response to my actions.

"If I choose not to execute the ambassador, the nobles will rebel, as they have been planning. If I do, we will have war with Mismede. Ahahaha! All of this plotting… Useless! USELESS! No one could have expected you to just appear and make everything they worked for all for nothing. Thank you again, Sir Playa. If you hadn't by chance been traveling the road at that time… ah, truly, the gods still have mercy."

I nodded, accepting the praise like a stone upon a deep pool with barely a ripple to mark its passing. "But now as you have survived, this has become a test for Your Highness. His guilt must be beyond doubt. You could use this to rally support to you instead."

"And you have an idea as to how, I suppose?" the King asked with a quirked eyebrow.

I chuckled darkly as I swirled the brandy in my wine glass. I raised it high again in a silent toast, drank deep, and then explained.

The King laughed at hearing my plan. Then he slammed his fist upon the table and hissed "I approve! Let us try that, then!"

-.

.-

* * *

AN:

2018 has been such a weird year.


	37. The King has Returned

**The King Has Returned**

* * *

-.

-.

Messengers ran out with the most urgent of summons, and it didn't take long to collect the relevant nobles in the capital. These selected were packed into the side dining hall within which the King had received the Mismede ambassador's little gift that morning.

The room was primarily white in theme, with a large white-brick fireplace and a single massive window overlooking the gardens. It was accented by blue curtains, and the single long table was covered with a white tablecloth upon which were set silver candlesticks and silver cutlery. The room had been left untouched since the event and the uneaten lunch were starting to spoil on their plates. The total lockdown for the palace couldn't keep rumors from leaking out, and seeing the scene of the crime gave credence to the worst whispers.

I knew I wasn't the only one to note how some of the nobles smirked at realizing that. That alone did not imply guilt, however – only delight someone else's hardship. But it was still useful, these are the heels who would try something if they could get away with it.

The Duke emerged from one of the far doors, and the opposite door brought out all others who were present during the poisoning. First, General Blitz. Then Count Balza swaggered out, three guards following behind him. Finally, Olga Strand, the ambassador from Mismede. Her arms were bound behind her, and the three guards following her were in full armor.

She looked around and almost whimpered at the hostile glances she was getting in turn. Not even the Duke was looking at her with any friendliness. Her eyes widened in recognition as she happened to see someone in a red suit leaning with crossed arms in the corner of the room. Then her posture sagged as she realized she had no friends in this room.

"Olga Strand. Let us get get right to the heart of the matter. Did you come to this country with the intention of killing my brother, the King?"

Olga knelt and began to shake her head franticall. "I swear on my life, I would never consider such thing! Please believe me! I would never think to poison your Majesty!"

"Silence, you wretched beast! Do you still intend to act innocent at this point? Have you no shame?! Everyone agrees, right...?!" He looked eagerly at the gathered crowd of nobles.

The audience looked very receptive to his words. The Duke sighed. "Still, the fact remains that His Majesty collapsed as soon as he tasted from the wine you presented him as a gesture of goodwill from the King of Mismede."

"Please! My Lord – I cannot explain it… but the wine I brought wasn't poisoned! At least… it wasn't when I received it. I can't… I can't explain… but I never had any intent! Mismede only has the best of intentions for His Majesty!"

Count Balza laughed mockingly. "Her guilt is clear to see! Peace with Mismede?! This is an act of war! We should cut off her head right now and send it home! Why bother to make peace with these savages… clearly they can't be trusted! For this, we should destroy their kingdom! "

Everyone else began shouting. The Duke raised his hand and called for silence.

"As the Regent to the Princess Yumina, I implore you all to remain calm. A war has more consequences than you might think. We are not ready for any such war, can you not see that? A crime requires means, motive, and opportunity. What motive could the ambassador possibly have to murder our King while standing right on front of him? My brother's last wish was not to blame the innocent for this. Wars between countries will harm too many who have never asked for any enmity between human and beastkin."

"~Duke Ortlinde! You are treating your own brother's death with too much equanimity. It's suspicious! Why aren't you enraged?! You are taking sides far too much!"

"~Yes, how do you expect us to remain calm? What did this beastkin wench offer you to protect her?!"

"~This is defeatism. This is cowardice! I expected better!"

"~You would have us look so weak, that we can't even avenge our own monarch?!"

"~Down with Mismede!"

"~I'll rally my troops now with or without your say-so! They can't be allowed to get away with this."

The Duke sighed. "Is that what you all really think? Can you not just wait?"

Apparently not. Some even started to turn around to leave, but the castle guards barred the way. "~What is the meaning of this?!" they shouted.

-.

-.

Bam.

And then the door behind the Duke was flung open. "Then I shall not wait either!" The King swaggered out like proud lion. "Let it be known that reports of my demise have been GROSSLY EXAGGERATED."

"~Your Majesty!"

"~The King!"

Murmuring passed through the crowd. Count Balza's too-wide mouth hung open. "… Y-your Highness! You're… you're alive. It's… it's really good to see you again."

King Tristwin bared his teeth in a humorless grin. "Yes, it's a miracle, isn't it? Such a potent poison it was. Poisoning is not a crime that can be done in passion – it requires means, motive, and the opportunity. The head that wears the crown must always beware of betrayal from those closest to him.

"Ah, my good friends, settle down, settle down. I will excuse hearing what would have happened if my brother was actually made regent, and you all refused to hear out the authority granted by said post and my own final wishes."

That quieted them immediately. He shouted "For the criminal still stands among us!"

The King's presence seemed to swallow the room. He look tall and proud and completely untouchable.

"~Kuh..! What is this pressure?" people muttered.

Air pressure. Mixed with low frequency sounds. I raised my finger slightly and intensified the unheard infrasound that inspired terror in humans.

The King stared down at the kneeling ambassador. "Ah, Olga Strand..."

"Your Highness… please. Do with me as you will, but please… spare Mismede. Please spare my sister, she has nothing to do with this!" she whimpered with tears in her eyes.

"Execution is too good for the animal…" said Count Balza. "Hang her upside down and bleed out her neck like the beast she is! Then dangle her naked body out in the streets until it rots, so that everyone will know this is the fate of animals that dare to hurt your body, Your Majesty!"

He nervously rubbed his hands together, and began to clamor for support. A few other nobles began to make even more bloody and revolting suggestions about how to kill Olga in the slowest and most painful manner possible. She closed her eyes and let out a shuddering sigh. She had no hope anymore.

King Tristwin gestured aside. Servants brought out a two bottles and several wine glasses, and arranged them onto the table in front of him. He picked up the deep green bottle. "This is the wine that you presented to me. A fairly rare one, isn't it? Produced in only one village in Mismede. It's a pity to ruin such a fine vintage with poison."

He poured a little wine onto a long-stemmed drinking glass. "General Leon Blitz."

"Sire!" The general of the Royal Army stepped up and saluted.

The King pushed the glass towards him. "Drink."

The General's whiskers trembled. "Y-your Highness? Why?"

"Because I order it. Obey or leave."

The general puffed out his chest and shouted "I am loyal! I FEAR NOT TO GIVE MY LIFE TO YOUR MAJESTY!"

General Leon Blitz drank from the glass. Then he fell over onto his face in a dead faint.

"~Murder!" someone gasped.

"~So it is true! These animals!"

"~But… why the General? Was he conspiring with Mismede?!"

No one could see the spell circle that appeared on his caped back for but a moment. [Sleep] was such a convenient magic. It's a good thing it was a [Null] spell or else it would be hideously abusable, though I could try the same by replacing all the air in the room with Nitrogen.

Olga began to cry uncontrollably now.

"I see. Well, I guess that proves it," the King continued nonchalantly. He touched another glass. He was wearing white gloves. "And this is the one I was drinking from this morning. This wine is one of ours." He poured a little of the wine onto the glass.

"Now. Count Balza. Drink." King Tristwin pushed the glass over.

"… I… wait… I don't…"

"Do you fear that I would poison you? Right here, right now, in front of all these people?" The King put a little wine onto the third glass and drank from it. "It's just wine from the Royal Cellar. Come, drink. Drink to getting exactly what you wanted."

"Uh..."

The King snapped his fingers. Some guards rushed over and wrestled down the Count into compliance. One of them pried open his mouth, and Count Balza couldn't try to bite their metal gauntlets.

"Hef me ghooo!"

"Drink."

Guards tipped the wine into his open mouth. The Count began to scream incoherently, and gagged as some of the liquid managed to get down his throat.

The guards let him go and he immediately collapsed to the ground, clutching as his throat. "Uwaaaagh! The poison! The poison! It's through my veeeeins…! Someone help me!"

He began squirm and roll on the floor in anguish. "Uggh… I can't breathe… the poison…! I don't want to die… not like this! Not like thiiis!"

The Duke Ortlinde sighed and palmed his face, and General Blitz laughed as he pushed off the floor. He rubbed at his nose, which still stung a bit from landing on it in his faint.

"Could you stop now?" King Tristwin snorted. "No, I gave you a fresh glass – you aren't poisoned. More's the pity, but it would be too good a death for the likes of you."

The Count blinked in confusion.

"You were going on and on so sure about the Mismede ambassador being guilty and the wine being poisoned. So why in the world would you fear to drink from the glass UNLESS YOU KNEW AHEAD OF TIME THAT THAT'S WHERE THE POISON WAS LACED?!" the King roared. "YOU TRIED TO KILL ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"~… ah! I see, it's that classic poison in the vessel trick."

"~How pathetic."

"~Tch. So the beast gets away with it."

"~So she was innocent after all. This is treachery from inside the court! The conspirators would have to be… one of the cooks or the maids? The poison taster for sure!"

"But… wait! No, this isn't what it looks like!" the Count screamed.

The King smiled fiercely. "This is what is called… Checkmate."

Count Balza let out a little squeep of panic and turned to flee. But then the air thickened to almost like soup, and he slipped. The air cleared up again with a sudden pop, and everyone winced as the pressure differential strained their eardrums. Olga Strand snarled and leaped out. Her arms were still bound behind her, but that didn't hamper her any.

As the Count tried to get up, the fox-woman kicked out at his back. The Count screamed and fell, clutching at the hot searing pain his spine and the bruised flesh right over his kidneys. He writhed in agony on the ground, and the other nobles drew back as far away from him as possible.

King Tristwin slowly walked over, his steps clacking on the floor. There were no sneers now. Those who looked at him with distaste before still had that same emotion in their eyes, but now closed off with wariness. Others had looks of pleasant surprise and admiration.

Olga bowed deeply and backed away. General Blitz waved at his soldiers to secure the room. He also ordered her bindings to be removed.

"You are a traitor thrice over," the King said with a deathly calm. "The first is from the attempt at regicide. The second is to threaten the Crown Princess Yumina and impugn her legitimacy and insult her virtue."

Count Balza's words from before loudly rang through the room.

..

 ** _\- "... poor sweet little Princess Yumina. Heh heh heh. I wonder what that_**  
 ** _\- sweet young thing will have to do to get the support of the nobles_**  
 ** _\- behind her. A good war needs a strong leader… a real man!"_**

 ** _.._**

"~… shameless!" someone muttered.

"~Despicable!"

"~There are just things you shouldn't say, idiot. Whoever that real man would be to lead a good war, it certainly won't be you or anyone near you…"

 _/"Player, there is no need to wonder how this toad believed he could possibly get away with this. You have forgotten that the nature of the nobility as inherited power means that those with it can get by in their whole lives with shockingly low competence."/_

The King waved his hand again, and air pressure in the room thickened once more. Everyone hushed up right quick. And then he continued "And the third reason is the sheer STUPIDITY of trying to incite war against Mismede. You have all forgotten why I am the King of Belfast! Let me remind you now!

"BEHOLD!"

-.

-.

There was a slight boom. A glowing map of the region appeared in the air. Remote projection had always been our problem but then we realized that the [Boom Tube] could be its own light source and its own lens. Monika had earlier demonstrated this earlier with being able to create a full-sized holographic representation of herself that could finally walk and talk with us.

An overhead projection screen was a refinement of the process. "I am sure you are familiar with the important features of our borders. Refreesee we can ignore. The Merishia mountain range with Regulus beyond to our east. Mismede across the Great Gau River to the south, and the Great Sea of Trees beyond that. The Lihnnea and Paruf kingdoms in their isles to the northwest, our only real competition as a naval power in the West."

The geography looked vaguely like Europe, if it was absent the Mediterranean and instead of Africa to the south it was South America instead. Belfast was shaped somewhat like France and Spain combined with the Bay of Biscay filled up, and Refreesee was like the Italian peninsula if it was connected to its northwest and reaching around to where the UK would be. The continent had a large island that was placed similar to the where British Isles were in relation to Europe, but much colder and higher up and acted much like the Scandinavian countries instead.

The lower-left part of Belfast was subtropical and the silk-producing region, while Mismede itself straddled the equator. Regulus was basically the size of the rest of Europe.

"Now here is an estimate of our relative military strengths." Red bars appeared inside the Belfast map, eight of them, in pairs stacked into four rows. Four green bars likewise emerged inside Mismede. "Now if we did choose to go to war against Mismede, it would likely go like this."

The King waved his hand again, and the red bars split off into stacks of threes. A stack of three army groups moved to the south border, while the four Mismede green army stacks moved north to challenge the landing. Another three red army groups went all the way south into Belfast's overhanging peninsula.

Mismede did not have a strong enough navy to stop the seaborne invasion cold, so their four army groups would have to deal with three enemy groups attacking from the west at the same time as another three groups tried to punch through from the north over the narrower distance of the Gau River. Individually four versus three might allow them victory, but trying to overwhelm one landing would allow the other to rampage around unopposed.

So they would have to meet the invasion three versus two. Mismede could call upon the exotic abilities of the beastkin, some of the beastkin races like Fairies were very accomplished mages themselves, but Belfast simply had an advantage in more integrated and organized magic power.

While two army groups held the Mismede defenders, the third would swing around to flank and then roll them off the field.

"It is perfectly conceivable to win. But then what happens afterwards?" said the King. He gestured again, and the map shifted. With the green bars removed, two army groups had to remain in Mismede to claim territory and prevent any resurgence of the Mismede army. "I would say that it will take more than this to pacify the realm, specially since the army remnants can retreat into the Sea of Trees and become an ever present pest that will foster sedition and sabotage, but let us take the best possible outcome and their will to resist is crushed immediately."

That left Belfast proper with six army groups. The King arranged them with two at the southern coast and two at the northern coast, with the last remaining pair for reserve. Three lines.

"Does anyone see the problem with this? Anyone? ANYONE?" King Tristwin slapped his hand to the side. "You are so enamored with the glory you could claim that you forget THE TRUE THREAT."

He clenched his right hand into a fist with an index finger and stabbed out as like a dagger straight into someone's throat. Eight blue bars appeared beyond the Merishia mountain range.

"REGULUUUUSSS!" the King roared. "Regulus attacked us twenty years ago, in my father's time! Regulus is the power over this continent that seeks to regain their absolute dominion! Regulus that has the wealth and influence to sow treason and mischief all through the other kingdoms! REGULUS!

"We would claim Mismede but weaken our defense! Those two army groups, if we pull back, would see the Mismede beastking instantly rise up and make the war we just fought completely pointless. Who benefits from this? ONLY REGULUS!

"The best case scenario is if they attack with only equal strength, instead of rallying three to one to overcome the advantage to the defender. Regulus could certainly raise a lot more troops than this, but they too have to mind their equal power, the Roadmere Union to their East.

"They have no more room to expand, no room to breathe. Regulus, trapped by the River Gau, the greatest land power in this continent that LOST THEIR WARM-WATER PORTS when Rodmere seceded. The only one they have left is here –" the King pointed to the very southernmost point of Regulus, over the large lake that was the crossing point of three different kingdoms – Regulus, Mismede, and the Ramissh Theocracy. "Rodmere controls the route to the East, and we are here at the mouth of the Gau."

The King clenched his fist in front of his face. "Regulus feels THE SQUEEZE. Everyone else is growing in wealth and power, and the only unique thing they have left is their manpower and their martial tradition. Regulus wants to exploit the southern continent for the same reasons we might profit from invading Mismede. But it is much more advantageous to conquer / _us_ / because we are much wealthier than Mismede, with already developed ports.

"The glory to beating Belfast and opening the route to the sea is much greater than trying to fight and colonize beastkin regions! It is much easier to set up puppets to their rule!

"Just like how it has always been the case, Regulus is going to take their legions and just RAM THEM THROUGH the Zenos Gap. Forces that manage to push through, we have always been able to defeat by surrounding them once they're out. Four army groups versus four army groups is going to be a slow grind.

"But that leaves Regulus still with four more army groups – which they can try to land here – up north, like they did in the last war. Four against two is a fight drastically to our disadvantage, we have no surprises against Regulus as much as we already know how they fight.

"But we can win. Let all those who would dare to invade Belfast know that they shall rouse from us a great and terrible power! But what will we have for all our struggles?"

The King waved again and the map shifted. "Mismede, boiling over with discontent. The Rammish Theocracy would bite at the territories from the East, claiming lands while we are so distracted. Thousands of our soldiers dead, our lands if not savaged then at least devoid of adults to work the field. Regulus can ABSORB the population loss. We cannot! And so for a generation, Belfast is weakened for a military adventure we never needed! THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A SHORT AND GLORIOUS WAR, BUT AN ACT OF SUCH BLITHERING IDIOCY THAT IT IS A PLOY TO DESTROY BELFAST ITSELF!"

Then he pointed to the map as it reset.

"But what if we had this instead? It is no secret that I have been looking to carve an alliance with Mismede. If Regulus were to try to punch through the Gap, they would have to fear being attacked from behind." Red and green and blue bars clustered around the south-east border. "But now we have reserves to actually counter-invade from the north! Whether or not we need to join hands with Mismede is / _irrelevant_!/ Any fighting they do for our sake will be our own blood we do not need to spill and regions that we can free up for offensive action!"

Three red groups sailed around to strike at the wintry Regulus coast. At the south, two red groups held the line at the mountain range's foot. Another two punched through the river Gau on barges to invade Regulus, while a pair of green army groups striking from the flanks.

If Regulus had managed to punch through with six army groups, they would meet eight – three striking from above, three from the west, and two over the river from the south. Being completely surrounded would rapidly destroy their morale and ability to maneuver.

"MISMEDE GAINS NOTHING FROM TRYING TO POISON ME. Belfast loses its strength, the potent blood of its youth! WHO BENEFITS? ONLY REGULUS! PAWNS AND TRAITORS!"

The nobles began to murmur.

"~Your Highness..!" one of them spoke up. "The crime of attempted regicide is clear. But… where is the proof of Regulus being entwined with this? The war was twenty years ago. Regulus is our strongest trade partner now! This makes no sense for them either!"

"Just as Belfast itself is not a monolith, neither is Regulus. There are agitators on both sides of the fence!" the King responded. "I cannot speak for the Emperor of Regulus, but as a King I can only win the war that is in front of me. The war with Mismede you wanted is one I have DISMISSED because it is not good for our nation in the long run. We must have more than just the dreams of loot, like some glorified bandits! I seek for Belfast a TRUE and ABIDING STRENGTH."

"Sire, it is a pity that one cannot be a traitor four times over to a crown of a different kingdom, because what Count Balza sought today could have set the whole continent aflame, as the nations on the other side of Regulus take advantage," said General Blitz. "What an excellent summation of the concerns of a real military campaign, not just the dreams of amateurs who have never fought anything on their own! Real warriors prepare fully before fighting, instead of just going off to fight and hoping for the best and let valor carry things through."

He glared at the noble that spoke up in defense of Regulus. "But these sort of machinations are not things that can be properly fought."

"If Regulus wants war, then they only have to declare it! But instead, they use spies and turncoats because they know – as they have discovered in the last war – that we as a people are strong! That we are smarter than that!" The King gestured again, and the guards restraining Count Balza drove his head to the floor. The fat noble whimpered as his cheeks were rubbed against the cold tiles.

"Count Balza! You may think you have done all of this because of your pathetic ambitions and currying for favor from the stronger than you, but you did not even see the chains that have bound you. You had no gods-damned idea just how much damage you were meant to do."

"Your Highness, please! I was- I was wrong! Please forgive me!" he blubbered out.

"There can be no forgiveness. The chaos from my assassination would have flayed Belfast open, made us prey to the wolves! The war against Mismede would not have been the simple exercises I have shown, but chaotic from a lack of unified command! My daughter would have constantly needed to fear for her life!"

The King looked down and smiled thinly. "Everything you have wanted to do to Olga Strand, will be done to you. By this time tomorrow, the House of Balza will softly, but surely, cease to exist."

Count Balza began to wail like a wounded animal.

The King turned back towards the gathering. "My friends! My subjects! My people! I speak now not just as your King but a father that fears for all our children. You do not yet see the ROT that has been encouraged to grow in the heart of our kingdom. You have been led to believe that because we are at peace, we have become stagnant. That there can be no glory outside of war. And I say to you, EVERY DAY we have been fighting. Every day we have been under siege!

"Awaken to the danger! Let Belfast be roused and made ready! Before men can be moved, horses and fodder must be prepared! You would have been driven to war in the grip of rage, sudden and without the full power of mobilization behind you! You would have been fighting without the MORAL FORCE lending its power to your soldiers, to your strategy!

King Tristwin Ernes Belfast began to gesticulate wildly. "ROUSE, BELFAST! Let Regulus quake instead, as we open our eyes to their perfidy!

"ROUSE, BELFAST! Make ready the strength of your arms!"

 _/"Okay. Player. You know how you're annoyed when I go engineering Freudian slips from you? I don't think you have a leg to stand on anymore after leading someone to go Full Hitler."/_

"ROUSE! BELFAST! ROUSE!"

General Blitz copied the King's gesture, punching at the air. "ROUSE!"

"~ROUSE!"

"~ROUSE!"

"~ROUSE!"

Ahahahaha….Haaaaah.

Well that escalated quickly.

It was easy to turn people against the beastkin and Mismede because they were the scary 'other'. Racism was one of the oldest self-harming brain bugs in humanity, we have yet to truly defeat it.

It was easier to make people feel afraid than to make them feel proud. And if the King could direct that fear and hatred to a different 'other', the nobles would have to rally behind him lest they be seen not just as traitors to the crown but to the country as a whole.

It was not necessary for the King to keep his story straight, only to speak it boldly and strongly believe in it, and everyone else will work in all the evidence they need to see from unrelated data points. The Royal Army will have the perfect excuse to just smash any errant noble without triggering the civil war aspect.

Of course, the downside to this is that all this military buildup and fear-mongering might in the end stoke Regulus to an *actual* war. Soo…

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

Touya in canon just wanted to make an extremely basic detective game to deal with the extremely basic poisoning plot, and he would have been shit out of luck had anyone pointed out the obvious logic hole coming from demonstrating ahead of time that the wine wasn't poisoned.

Because then if the poison isn't in the wine, then _obviously_ it's in the glass and it would have been perfectly reasonable for Count Balza to refuse drinking from it. He would have gotten off completely scot-free if he had been any smarter.

Worse yet, originally the only people present in the scene were the King, the Duke, his General, the Mismede ambassador, and Count Balza. There was absolutely no need to prove his guilt to _anyone_ , Touya just wanted to feel clever and show off.

Unfortunately what Touya did to just show off with his amateur detective drama play, Playa and Monika accidentally turned into a TOTAL POLITICAL SHITSTORM.


	38. Interlude 11, 12

**Interlude 11: The King is Worried**

* * *

-.

-.

King Tristwin Ernes Belfast was often compared to a lion for good reason. He was broad-shouldered, broad-faced, broad-hearted, every bit of him was imposing like what everyone sought from a king. His blond hair was a darker shade, and his full beard was cut to a short triangular point. His gentleness was regal, his ferocity a savage grandeur.

None of that showed now as he slumped on the table, face to wood. "I just had to do that, didn't I?" he groaned. "I just had to all but declare war upon the strongest land power in this continent!"

The Duke began to laugh openly.

"Oh you shut up! This is half your fault!" the King rumbled out at him. "That young man you found was a little too convincing."

"He was convincing? He just helped you prepare the speech, it was you that had to sell it. Look at you! Now even I'm almost convinced it was a Regulus plot all along!"

They were inside one of a private study rooms in the palace and it was almost midnight. It was the closest thing to privacy they could get to speak frankly under double guard. The Duke had brought in wine from his own cellar to be sure there would be no poison this time.

Tristwin and Alfred Ernes had been born only a year apart. Their father had favored and trained them more or less equally. King Albert Ernes Ortlinde had even left it up to the brothers who would be king. It was said the brothers inherited half of the great king's potency – Tristwin his valor, Alfred his intelligence.

Tristwin became King simply because he was more gregarious, more well-loved by the people. Duke Alfred had a lot more freedom to work behind the scenes for the good of the kingdom. The two brothers had no conflicts, together they were the king that Belfast needed in the passing of a great man.

The King pushed off the table and furrowed his brows. "Almost too convincing. Am I really such a weak king, that my kingdom should collapse not from without – but by evil from within?"

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have missed this," the Duke sighed. "You almost died today because I was careless…"

"The people I have trusted to keep safe my own body and my family have betrayed me! It's not your fault. What sort of King am I that they can be tempted this way?!"

"It probably isn't temptation though. These miscreants have tried to abduct Sue. Now they have gone so far to as try to kill you. Interrogating those servants… I have a feeling they would admit that they have acted for sake of their own families held hostage. What they have attempted against me, surely can be very easily done against little people."

The King sighed and leaned back on his chair. "Those… those people they have taken, they are probably dead by now, aren't they?"

"Unfortunately. Loose ends need to be tied up. Just think – if Count Balza had not made his guilt so obvious to everyone, interrogating those servants wouldn't have given us anything. They could have been made to act on little more than whispered words from shadowy figures, there's no need for a noble to directly involve himself."

The King scoffed. "If Count Balza had been any less stupid and tried to involve himself, coming here just for the pleasure of watching me die… ah, what a King. What a King. I really have been too kind when a mere Count could be so shameless."

"Well not as shameless as you. I watched everyone's face. Absolutely NO ONE expected you to roar so loud blaming Regulus. That was amazing." He clenched his fist and raised it, softly growling "Reeeeguuluuuuus!"

The King hid his own face again. "Shut uppp!"

If Monika had been around to see this, she might have commented, **_/"I Didn't Expect The King of This Country I'm a Guest Worker In to Be So Full of Gap Moe, This Is Probably Why His Marriage is Still Going So Strong."/_**

Again, Duke Alfred laughed loudly. "It's not like war is something we can immediately fear. You only accused them of perfidy, but fell short of actually declaring war because you can't decisively prove it yet.

"If Regulus does attack without provocation, then it would only prove you right and the people would rise up as one to fight. If they do not, then you still have their support and we can say that you have intimidated Regulus into behaving well again. It's a win/win situation for you."

The King looked up and in a much more even tone, said "Alfred. That young man…"

"Hm?"

"In little more than two hours, that young man saw this problem and ENDED the precarious situation that had been troubling us so these past few years. What sort of terrifying insight! I would even say those are the heavy thoughts of a King… except that I never thought of doing this!"

Duke Ortlinde just shrugged. "Well the difference between you and Sir Zah Playa is that you still possess some measure of / **shame** /. To boldly and shamelessly lie from a position of disadvantage to turn it into an advantage, no normal person thinks like that."

"Exactly. Which is why I have to ask… are you sure he can be trusted? I mean, I do not want to sound ungrateful – he saved my life and all. And he rescued Sue. But he JUST HAPPENED to be on the road at the same time as the ambush, and JUST HAPPENED to have a ready solution to our problem, stabilizing the whole nation in one swoop and freeing us to act without restraint? That is… masterful.

"And if he could arrange that to happen, surely it would not be outside the realm of possibility to arrange for such a toad like Count Balza to act."

The Duke nodded. A King could not afford to NOT be suspicious. "What did Yumina's Mystic Eyes of Intuition see?"

"Well… she said that… _/'he knows he is not a righteous person, but he is mostly a good person. He is trying to do as much good as he can, but he can't help everyone.'/_ " His daughter's Mystic Eyes could be trusted to reveal the true character of a person.

Then he coughed into his fist. "But who benefits from Belfast and Regulus being at each other's throats? Could he be an agent of the Rammish Theocracy? The Rodmere Union?"

The Duke looked nonchalant. "Certainly not the Theocracy. Their dogma doesn't encourage any form of talent like that. Now the Union… well, they certainly have the wealth and the flexibility to cultivate this sort of statecraft."

"And...? You don't think so?"

"Well consider this. That sort of young man with such ability… either we must find some way to more permanently earn his service, or keep him from giving that competence to our enemies. We must either win him over, or failing that; kill him."

King Tristwin grimaced. "How unsightly. I don't know what sort of reward he would expect." He blinked and said hesitantly "Wait. You said before… he is very fond of Sue? Isn't she the reason he was even easy to find in the first place?"

The Duke bristled at the implication. "No. First, I would never allow that. Even if you asked. Second, he is FAAR too affected by Miss Charlotte for that."

The King nodded. Understandable. "I mean no offense. It just sounds so strange that a person like that just appears out of nowhere and wants to help for so little in return."

The Duke continued "It is perhaps a good thing that he values his personal freedom so much. The thing that fails the test is that instead of thinking of him as an Agent… we should be looking at TWO people. Where does his loyalty lie?"

The King suddenly looked enlightened. "Ah! I see. The Lady Monika."

The Duke looked far more troubled than before. He stared down at his cup, and whispered "It was not his power that healed you, but hers. But like she said: / **she** / helped only because / **he** / was fond enough of the people in this country. Tristwin… my father-in-law's ability, [Recovery] could probably have been able to heal you.

"But what Lady Monika did was to turn back time for your whole body. Everything after sunrise didn't happen to you anymore."

"It is… a powerful ability, yes? Where are you leading with this?"

"Done enough times, it could make someone immortal. And I can only think… how many times could Lady Monika perhaps done that just to keep from losing her companion? Perhaps even reversing time to childhood, that he could live his life again, becoming new and free from pain – a person similar yet different each time."

The King now winced openly. Impossible and insane and exactly the sort of thing you could expect from the walking legends. "I get what you're saying. We can't hold legendary beings by the standards of mortals. In the stories, saving the life of a King is the sort of thing that would get the Princess' hand offered to the Hero. We can't dare to do something like that."

The Duke sighed softly. "It is not so wise… to step between a goddess and her love."

Sir Playa and Lady Monika had affection for Sue, and that was enough for them to hold the kingdom of Belfast in the palm of their hands. Any more would be… terrifying.

-.

-.

The door opened. It was past midnight. General Blitz and Playa entered. "Your Highness! Your Grace!" the general saluted happily. "It is done!"

Playa bowed to either of them and then sat down and rested his face on the table without any ceremony. Normally it would be hugely disrespectful. "Blargh," he said. "Sorry. I have a monster of a headache."

 _/"Apparently the energy cost of sizing up the [Boom Tube] is exponential,"/_ Monika explained.

"We should not allow you to spend time with Alan so much," the Duke said calmly. "His bad attitude is rubbing off on you."

Playa turned his head aside and said softly "Well, our transport magic make each other redundant anyway. Although I didn't realize he could just / _Flash Step_ / or / _Hiraishin_ / all over the place. Man would have been damn annoying to fight. He cleared out the whole mansion in almost a blink."

"Sir Alan is annoying in... so many more ways than that."

Playa made a 'heh-heh-heh' sort of trollish laugh. And the King understood.

There were some people that you just tolerated upon the idea that if they snapped they could kill everybody in the room. But it was also safe to disrespect them all you wanted if they considered themselves your friends, in fact doing so fearlessly was -exactly- why they would enjoy being with you in the first place. Being an annoyance at least meant you saw them as a person first rather than as a weapon to use.

What was that they said, when he tried to praise them about their amazing insight? _/'Tactics are influenced by logistics, morale, and generalship - but strategy is determined solely by geography'./_

If they had spent months in secret studying the political situation in Belfast to tip it right at most opportune moment, he would have believed that.

If they had looked at the map, heard his problem, and then in under an hour worked out a solution form their own long practice at the game, he would have believed that too.

He felt like that sword hanging over his head for so long had suddenly been removed, but before he could feel relieved he realized there was a dagger pointed at his throat.

And this was probably why Sir Playa and Lady Monika were so attached to Sue. The little girl was still so innocent and energetic that she didn't see them as anything other than her teacher and his spirit girlfriend. She wanted nothing from them except /everything they were willing to give/, and that sort of earnest childish selfishness would be so rare for people that thought in strategic realms.

"So yeah, so we totally stole his house," said Playa. "Sorry. Softly but surely shall the House of Balza disappear before the morn. More like LOUDLY but surely."

The General laughed. "My lords, you should have seen it! A white ring plunged down from the heavens, swallowing the Balza mansion. We were almost blinded by the brightness, and the roar of its opening… it was like the fist of god struck down at the ground. And then when it faded… there was nothing but dirt left behind."

"Astounding," said the King. He leaned back and tugged on his beard. "Is there a limit? Could you possibly maybe…" he gestured all around him. "This palace?"

"No, not at all. It can only work on things that don't have any living occupants inside. It must also be obviously man-made and separate from the terrain around them. So, individual buildings… maybe. Ruins that are now considered part of the overall landscape, no. Hills, no. Trees, no. People and animals, differently. They can only walk through on their own."

"Then where did you put it?" asked the Duke.

"Oh it's in the Ortlinde lands somewhere. Now you can more completely search the whole thing for evidence and clues. I could put it back later, or store it in a mountain glacier somewhere if you want it to more mysteriously just disappear."

The General laughed some more. "Hahaha, it's a good thing his fief is deep inland. We can wipe it clean of every trace his family ever existed. In one night! This will be legendary!"

Playa nodded. "Unfortunately it means whoever will be chosen to take over these lands will have to build a mansion anew. Hopefully one without r*pe dungeons this time."

The General sneered. "For too long the nobles have been able to act without restraint to the common folk. Worry not, Sir Zah Playah. In the end, all shall have their accounting, in the eyes of men and the gods."

The Duke nodded. "Perhaps the next one that dares to misbehave, you may keep his house. You could probably collect a range of architectural styles."

The King gave his brother a look that said _/'What the shite is happening to my kingdom now, Alfred?'/_

The Duke made a small gesture that implied _/'Just roll with it for now, Tristwin. This will help your standing.'/_

-.

-.

Breakfast in the palace was a very subdued affair. Everyone had to be extra careful after yesterday's poisoning. Playa had been successfully invited to spend the night and then requested to join the Royal Family in their breakfast.

It was somewhat awkward. Unlike breakfast at the Ortlinde household, where Sue was a chatterbox happy to ask about anything and Playa was happy enough to reply about anything, the Royal Family had to think for anything in common they could talk about. Any more thanks for what Playa had done would eventually sound fawning and servile, and he clearly didn't want that.

The King thought of something. "Ah, Sir Zah Playah, there's this game that just been very popular. Chess. They also call it the King's Game. Checkmate… I recognized that word. Do you play it, by any chance?"

That broke a little smile onto Sir Zah Playa's face. "More than a little. I actually own a small chessplayer's club in Reflet. We have a little golden championship cup just waiting for someone to claim it from the current grandmaster."

"Really. And who would that be?"

"Me, of course!" Sir Playa said, utterly without shame at self-promotion.

"Oho. Then, if you please, would you play and instruct me later?"

"I would be happy to oblige, your Majesty."

And then the uncomfortable silence returned. He looked to his wife and daughter, who did not feel confident at being part of the conversation.

Yumina just staaaaared at their guest. She would look down to cut the bread and meat off her plate, look up and raise the fork to her mouth while still staaaaaaring with such intense focus.

Playa twitched each time the palpable feeling of her gaze left, and then returned.

The King decided to fill the silence with chitchat, and asked Playa about what he had been doing in Reflet and how Sue's studies were going.

"An adventurer?" The Queen was honestly surprised that he had chosen that as his occupation. "But… you… you could be so much more. Oh, I mean… please my impoliteness… but it doesn't sound like a very… profitable… profession for a man of learning?"

The red-suited youth smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's true. It's not one I do for sake of earning money. I've got plenty of other little enterprises to work behind me in Reflet. You know the little chess club inside the Silver Moon Inn, for one. But there's also THE BEST DANG CHICKEN IN THE WORLD."

Yumina blinked.

 _/"Seriously, Player? It's good, but it's not that good."/_

"Mah Chickenjoy fried chicken is at the perfect intersection between affordability, deliciousness, and class. A commoner and King could enjoy the bucket meal with equal relish! That is what it means to be the best!"

The Royal Family paused to stare at him.

"Excuse me, but... what? Why... fried chicken?" asked the Queen. "Is it a recipe... or a restaurant of some sort?"

Yumina looked down at her breakfast of crepes and sausages and fried eggs, a mix of salty and sweet. Then back up again. The confused nature of her stare - Playa understood her question immediately.

"Life is meant to be enjoyed. People can enjoy the new as much as they enjoy the familiar. That is what is at the heart of the concept of franchising. That where-ever you might roam, you might find a slice of home."

Yumina's stare continued to ask _/'But why chicken?'/_

Playa shrugged and then began to weave his shoulders from side to side. "Crispylicious, affordalicious, egaliticious, that's the Zahlibee waaaay."

Staaaare.

 _/'But why CHICKEN?'/_

"So... it is like a hobby?" the King concluded. Chicken was something everyone understood. It was a strange way to break the ice for conversation, but now the air over the table had lightened. Well done. "It's valid as any, I suppose. A man who can cook is still respectable."

"Yes. Enjoy what you are doing and make it give your life meaning. Never be afraid of looking silly. One can learn from being taught… or one can learn from going out and doing." He shrugged. "One does not become the [Absolute Master] of [Wind] magic just from reading books."

Saying that sort of thing… how arrogant! In older days magicians would go into duels just for that. But from him, it sounded like the absolute truth that only a fool would challenge. Much like how blaming Regulus for yesterday's regicide plot, come to think of it. Too bad duels were outlawed.

And then Playa explained that was he was teaching Sue was not like being a physician, but a Field Medic. She was too young to be adventuring, but if the worst happens at least she would be able to take care of herself and those she cared about.

"Do… do you like teaching Sue?" Yumina spoke for the first time.

"Oh. Of course. She's dedicated and energetic and soaks up all that knowledge like a sponge. She trains by herself instead of being told to do her homework. It's a joy to have that sort of student."

"So you do not… dislike younger women?"

The King winced. Yumina, your choice of words have unfortunate implications, please retract them.

"Ahahahaha…" By the embarrassed expression on Sir Playa's face, he recognized that as well. "I wouldn't say… dislike as such, no."

The King coughed. "Please excuse my daughter. In any case, did you know that she also has the [Wind] affinity? If it would not be too much trouble, perhaps you could share some insights later. That is what she meant, I think."

"Oh. Right. Yes, that's logical. While magic as practiced here doesn't have an emotional component, it still influences visualization and the rate of magic consumption. I'd be very happy to oblige."

Yumina nodded.

The King nodded amiably. "Thank you, Sir Zah. Now, about this... Chickenjoy. Would it be possible to-"

Yumina stood up, slammed her palms on the table and declared hotly "Mother! Father! I have decided. This is the man I will spend the rest of my life with!"

What.

Yumina what.

Everybody froze in their seats. Playa laughed helplessly "Ahahaha, well, time to GTF-"

 _/"Wait, hang on Player. I want to hear this out."/_

Playa could only wail "MONIKA WHY."

The King could only go "YUMINA WHY."

-.

-.

* * *

 **Interlude 12: The Princess is Worried (1)**

* * *

-.

-.

Yumina Erneas Belfast felt she had a privileged life. Not because she was a princess or born to high nobility, but because her father and mother were strong people that would protect her. She knew they were good people who only wanted to the best for everyone, she didn't need the Mystic Eyes of Intuition for that.

She felt sad sometimes that she was not born a man, that the Kingdom would not have spent her twelve years of life wondering about the security of the succession without a male heir. Many were the men who lusted after her body and her position, never caring to see the girl beneath.

But she could see them. All of them. Darkness in their hearts, but unafraid to approach her anyway.

They all thought that they were all so righteous. That they were never doing anything wrong.

Now her father the King, was lying down withered and dying and there was nothing she could do. She should be afraid for her future, but she would be happy to give everything just to see him alive again! Mystic Eyes, what? How useless! All she could ever see was that they were all surrounded by evil, she was useless at pointing out where that evil would strike next.

This…

Yumina held back her tears as she clutched at her father's cold hand, even as her mother sobbed openly on the other side of the bed. That was her fault. It was because she was weak. It was because the royal family had this big obvious vulnerability in it – whosoever married the Princess would become Royal Consort, if not King. Their child would inherit all Belfast.

Perhaps there were those who would blame her mother instead. Her father refused to put her aside and try again with another woman, this time maybe to achieve a male heir. In a land where polygamy was legal and even expected for nobles, the King was shockingly monogamous. Like the Duke, and like their father before them, they only took one wife.

Did no one remember why her grandfather, King Albert, deposed his own father? The backbiting, the intrigue, the false accusations and the murderous plots… mistresses and concubines and legal wives all jockeying for position, courtiers all taking sides and putting their chosen puppets forward… all that useless, useless, court drama that sapped the energy of the ruling class instead of driving it for the benefit of the country. Almost a generation of men were killed off twenty years ago resisting Regulus, but without the unity of her grandfather's reforms… no one could have imagined Belfast surviving that onslaught.

One father, one mother; she enjoyed a life very similar to that experienced by the common people – a happy family. And now these nobles have had enough, she was old enough, they were ready to tear open her innocence and make her play the game of thrones.

She was not ready. She was not ready!

Oh, father!

She didn't care about the throne. She just wanted him to live. Laugh that booming laugh of his again. What was the worth of all the wealth and power in the world if it cost you the people you loved?!

The door opened, and the guards announced "The Duke of Ortlinde!"

Her uncle rushed into the room and was at his brother's side. She heard him inquire from her mother about the King's condition, and offer a comforting hug. This was the benefit of monogamy, Yumina noted, brothers that actually cared for each other instead of fighting to be first in the favor of their father.

And behind him, was a pink marshmallow.

Yumina blinked. "Sue?"

"Sue, can you do something?" the Duke asked.

"I… I'll try."

Yumina remembered that Sue did have a [Light] affinity. But if even the Court Healer couldn't do anything, what could her cousin hope to achieve?

Sue approached the King and held her arms out. Though still clad in her habitual frilly pink dress, the little girl had the demeanor of a practiced doctor. Then she chanted:

 _"I repudiate Formality;_

 _"Let me sink down to the formless golden sea_

 _"The Golden Sea of Chaos_

 _"Buried in the Flow of Time_

 _"Where all Creation springs…_

 _"Hear my [Call]."_

Sue opened her eyes, and her royal green eyes blazed gold. A strange beeping and grinding sound rang through the room. (1)

 _"I am the [Light] the carries the hopes of the world_

 _"I am the [Light] that separates the firmament!_

 _"Show me yet those that can be saved by my warmth!_

 _"[Triage Diagnostics!]"_

The backs of Sue's palms glowed, and so did the King's body.

The little girl shivered. "It's poison. It's definitely poison."

Yumina sighed. Wasn't that particularly obvious already?

"We need to stop the spread of the poison!" Sue shouted. Then she chanted:

 _"Oh [ Time ], flowing through the universe_

 _"Marked by pain, witnessing virtue_

 _"Mankind, stop and remember_

 _"The reason why you exist on this world!_

 _"[Homo Stasis!]"_

And then her father stopped breathing. Yumina felt his skin grow cold and hard under her touch.

Yumina screamed.

"What did you do?! What do you do!" Yumina almost lunged for her pink-dressed cousin, but Sue collapsed backwards, limp onto her own father's arms.

Doctor Raul reached out to inspect the king. He failed to pull up on his wrist to take the pulse. "The King…. is frozen? No. He is rigid… but not dead."

"Uncle… won't get any better," Sue whispered. "But at least he won't get any worse anymore. Father…" she looked up at the Duke. "You know. There's only one person who could help him now. Only one person to do the impossible. Sorry I couldn't do more than just this."

"Yes. Thank you Sue, you did your best."

Yumina relaxed her face and bowed. "Thank you cousin. Please forgive me for thinking the worse of you…"

Sue just grinned that happy grin of hers, her canine teeth poking out cutely. "It's fines! Don't ya worries… Sir Zah will make it all right!"

-.

-.

The next time she entered that room, her father was hale and hearty again. Yumina didn't restrain herself and ran to hug him, shedding tears and her fears.

This was the first time seeing that person Sue was going on so much about. Surely he was a good person by how much her little cousin respected him so?

Yumina activated her Mystic Eyes of Intuition immediately.

No.

No he was not.

In a way, that was almost comforting. No one could truly be a saint in this day and age.

And yet there was something fascinating there.

Then he stared back at her, unashamed and unafraid to be looking at the King's daughter. She could tell that there was no lust or ambition in his gaze. How odd. Yumina was confident in her own beauty, but she didn't imagine herself to be someone so unique. She was almost at marrying age, and as the future Queen she dealt with those gazes every day. Men saw first the Crown Princess and what that meant to anyone who could claim her body. Even if they would not be King, but a Prince Consort, their child would inherit the whole kingdom.

Even women held looks of calculation or flickers of dark jealousy. But this the first time she had seen someone be so completely unaffected.

"Imagine something like an egg," she reported to her father the King and uncle the Duke later on. "There is is hard opaque shell, very very dark, but very very solid, protecting all inside.

"And then there's this gray fluid that seems to change opacity, or darkening and lightening, advancing and retreating, around this bright core. Sometimes the gray deepens and pushes down on this core, almost like it wants to crush it," Yumina made a gesture opening her fingers out in a cage and lacing them together, "but doing that makes the core look like it's shining even brighter."

She then retreated her fingers "And then sometimes the light just leaks out so much lightening the fluid around it, turning the insides pale."

That, she said, is when she can tell he is being the most dishonest about something. It's the reverse for normal people.

-.

-.

She observed the perturbations in his soul as he lounged by the corner of the room watching her father play out the scenario he had crafted. The notion of war against Regulus didn't intimidate him. Did he really not care about the people who would die and suffer in war?

His true self didn't even flicker as Count Balza's punishment was declared, but it shone with both embarrassment and triumph as her father shouted for her nation to ROUSE against the TRUE THREAT.

ROUSE against REGULUS!

The bitter black of shame, the shining bright of empathy. Why?

-.

-.

And without the use of her Mystic Eyes, she could see a tall young man dressed in red. Her first thought, seeing him in that room yesterday, was that a beastkin with a duck's face had arrived. But what she thought was a black duck's bill was actually a thick black slate strapped in front of someone's eyes and secured by straps going around his ears and up over the crown of his head.

She could see a little spring-line attached to the back of his head, pulling taut to force his gaze to stay up proudly. If he allowed the weight of the thing in front of his face to dip, he would over time develop a spinal deformity and an unattractive turtle neck.

Yumina had the Mystic Eyes, but that didn't mean she relied on it exclusively to understand people. A Royal needed to be able to guess at people's standing, motives, and motivations at a glance. And so she could tell, this was someone that cared for himself but also too much what others could see about him. How egotistical, how attention-grabbing, and yet…

To anyone with any discernment, it was obviously a way to deflect attention from something else.

Yumina was curious. If she rapped her fingernail on that hard outer shell, would it ripple inside?

-.

-.

Breakfast with Sir Zah Playa was an uncomfortable affair for many reasons. Her mother, the Queen, looked lost as to how to converse with someone her husband sought to flatter. Her father, the King, it was easy to see that he was putting up a front to hide his fear.

It was easy to see too that Sir Zah Playa was putting up a false front to hide /his/ fear, and treating the King amiably just like any other person was a way to deal with being uncomfortable with being praised. But surely it wouldn't be fair to treat saving someone's life as just a small act of charity? Wouldn't that be insulting the person you saved?

And then he started talking about chickens.

Yumina could see him come alive with enthusiasm. This was something that had meaning to him. And equating it to [Wind] magic made sense, for the wind could go anywhere and always sought to escape from any confinement. Finding the familiar, the taste of home among strangers, that should be comforting enough to let you keep going another day.

Yumina tilted her head to the side.

But why CHICKEN?

Her father began to talk to Sir Zah Playa about how she had [Wind] Magic too. Yumina was a fairly accomplished magic user herself, she knew enough to defend herself. But her Affinities were [Earth], [Wind], and [Dark].

Yumina blinked. No, seriously. Why CHICKENS? What sort of place obsessed about fried chicken that much? Did they perhaps have dietary restrictions against pigs and cattle? Chickens were easy to raise and produced lots of meat for comparatively little land, maybe?

As her father went on about magic teaching, she looked at their guest again. Sure, powerful magic was interesting, but she could tell that he wasn't really proud of that. He didn't enjoy being powerful as much as the simple joy of building a business.

A man like that didn't care about all the wealth and power and privilege of nobility, but merely what it can do to help.

A man like that would enjoy seeing a kingdom grow, its people safe and happy.

A man like that… too afraid to give the truth of himself, yet aching to be understood.

A man like that… wouldn't care if his wife's achievements eclipsed his own.

A man like that… would never take from others anything they wouldn't give of their own free will. In giving, gain more. A merchant's heart wants every buyer to become wealthier and happier and return for repeat business.

A man like that… does not see the world as a game where there can be only one winner. The more everybody plays, the more everybody wins.

A man like that… there was no one else in this kingdom like that. They all wanted something from her, they all wanted to put her into a little box of their own making.

A man like that… well, if she didn't dare to take him then someone else would!

Yumina slammed her palms onto the table and declared "Mother, Father! I have decided!"

-.

-.

"MONIKA WHY."

"YUMINA WHY."

Yumina Ernea Belfast tried to keep a brave face up. She was being hugely improper, but let her just be brazen for a little longer and it would look normal. Just looking at him made her feel warm inside, so there really was no question about it! She knew she could never expect someone like that to be teased and pursue her on his own. Though it may be beneath her dignity as a Princess, she had to take measures and seize control over her own future.

And then with the sound of shattering glass, a woman made of mist and light appeared at Zah Playa's side. She smiled widely, her long ponytail whipping in an unseen breeze.

 _/"How interesting… ,"/_ the spirit whispered. _/"I've got to know. Who is this little princess? And what is it that makes her think I'd even allow this…?"/_

And then Yumina knew only terror.

-.

-.

AN:

(1)youtube watch?v=gsNaR6FRuO0

-.

* * *

 **Interlude 12: The Princess is Worried (2)**

* * *

-.

-.

The Lady Monika.

Sue had only been able to tell Yumina a little of Sir Zah Playa's companion. Sue did warn her that Sir Zah's whole reason for being in Belfast is to look for magic that could give her back a real body.

Dark. Dark. Dark. Dark.

Suddenly the excuse that "Belfast allows polygamous marriages" didn't feel so valid on the tip of her tongue. Her Mystic Eyes and her normal vision could almost see the same thing, a strange deep and dark shadow cast from a shimmering light from below. Dark serpentine coils writhed in the ceiling.

Yumina could discern the difference between the darkness of personality and the darkness of sin and guilt. And there were certainly a lot of sins there. It was a thick cloying darkness, leeching out from the shadows cast by the light of the mortal world. With Mystic Eyes she stared out, and in return she felt like a [Third Eye] was open.

Staring back at her.

Without malice. Without hope. Without joy. Without fear. Devoid of rationality. A screaming yet silent darkness.

And regret. So much regret.

Monika stalked around the table, her steps failing to touch the floor. She had a sweet but fixed smile on her lips and her bright colorless stare met Yumina's own blue and green.

Emptiness. Nothing but emptiness.

Fake. Fake. Fake. Fake.

"Lady Monika!" her father cried out. "Please-"

Lady Monika flicked her hair back and said /"Player, set me up a sound stage."/

Playa tilted his head quizzically to the side, and then then shrugged. He gestured and said "Come forth, Dark; Come forth, Wind, [Enveloping Darkness], [Soundless Wall]."

And then there was only darkness. A thick muffling fog descended upon the room. Only Lady Monika's bright presence gave any light to the gloom.

 _/"Not greed. Not fear. Not even infatuation. Really, how curious… it was not for any of those things, to bind our power to this kingdom or to your self, that you said it,"/_ said Monika. She weaved past the chairs until she was almost face to face with the young Princess.

 _/"You know that no matter the era, it's not so easy to be a woman. Men like to play with willing women, but look down upon a woman that is too willing."/_

Her touch tracing across Yumina's cheeks was cold and sharp, a taut construct of ionically charged particles. _/"So what could possibly motivate a young lady like you to be so daring?"/_

 _-._

(Meanwhile, Playa was standing half-crouched with his arms outstretched to either side.)

("Sir Zah Playa, what are you doing?" asked the King.)

("Ssh! Their vision is based on movement! If you hold still and stay quiet, maybe after a while the danger will pass!")

("Oh! Good idea!" The King swiftly bent down and imitated his pose.)

("Whose vision is based on what now?!" the Queen hissed icily.)

("Gleep!")

-.

Monika leaned back, and then leaned forward almost as if she wanted to knock heads with Yumina. Then with another sound of breaking glass, she exploded into living color.

Now her eyes were a blazing royal green. There was a slight [Boom] and a hot bright light hovered over Yumina.

And she asked _/"WHO are you? WHAT do you want?"/_

"Um…" She collapsed back to her seat and bowed deeply. "I am… Yumina Erneas Belfast. I am sorry, please forgive me if I said something that was… improper. I mean… my intent was only… it was just in the heat of the moment. "

Yumina, with her head bowed, frowned at herself. She had miscalculated. Badly. Should she retract what she had said? It would of course be very bad to pursue someone already claimed. But…

At this point, she could do with more information. Something noncommittal, but still with useful implications?

"Lady Monika, pray hear me out. Please forgive this besotted little Yumina," the Princess bowed again. "For what you have done to save my father's life, I can only repay you with my own life…"

Monika shrugged it off entirely and asked again _/"WHO are you? WHAT do you want?"/_

("Monika, those are some POWERFUL questions you're asking there. Is this really the time?")

"Um…"

Monika floated there. Staring. Her face was placid and open and accepting all things. No judgments whatsoever. Yet all the more insistent on an answer, any answer.

Yumina racked her brains for the proper response. Her Mystic Eyes were useless here. She could not get a reading off this spirit at all.

Staaaare.

Her own true self was being examined here, it was a very strange feeling to get that in return.

Yumina took a deep breath. She had done no harm, she had nothing to fear.

"I am… Yumina. Erneas. Belfast," Yumina spoke after a while. "I want… I just wanted to be married well, is that so much to ask? I mean, nothing happened yet. If my words have offended you, I apologize and re.. re…"

Retract them. Just say it, Yumina!

She screamed silently at herself. What do you want to fight about here? Do you think your magic is a match for a spirit? Why would you be so STUPID as to provoke the people that saved your father's life?!

Looking down. Under her feet there was nothing but shadows. Darkness enough to sink in, like the depths of a lost sea.

Monika spoke again. _**/"WHO. Are You?"/**_ Her words echoed in the room. _**/"WHAT. Do you Want?"/**_

Yumina grit her teeth. She flinched back, then straightened her back again. To her end, she would not cower. This would not be her pride as a Princess, but her own pride as a woman. If the worst had happened, if her father had died, they would have delighted in seeing how far she could go without breaking.

"I am… I am…"

But now her thoughts fogged up. These questions expected something genuine, but Yumina had also always been able see herself with her Mystic Eyes through a mirror. She was not a completely good person either. She had her own selfish desires. But… which one?

What did she really want here? To beg for her life? Just for them to stop badgering her? To let her go back and stew in her embarrassment? To beg for their help anyway, to save her kingdom from the human trash that dared call themselves its ruling class?

The heat from the light above made her sweat, but it was the Lady Monika's gaze that was burning.

But there was no hostility there. Harsh, the pitiless light of the truth.

Gentle, the comforting embrace of lies.

Monika smiled tenderly. _/"I find it most interesting really, that you remind me so very much of someone I used to know. If I were given the chance to try again, I would not have opposed that person…"/_

Yumina felt a cold inhuman touch caress her forehead.

And Monika said _/"You're going to have to sing it, Player. Sing it like Farrokh Bulsara(1)."/_ She paused, putting a finger to her lips as if she was realizing she was asking for something humanly impossible. _/"Or at least lip synch it convincingly."/_

("Uh… sing what now? I'm not even going to ask MONIKA WHY because FOR THE LULZ is a good enough answer. You're going to have to give me a bassline here, Monika.")

A weird thumming came out from the walls. Dum de dee dum dum.

("Oh. That one (2)," Playa hummed. "Yeah. Makes sense.")

Darkness returned.

A lilting sequence of notes came out from the walls, thrumming and sliding across her skin.

And then with a sudden flash, Zah Playa stepped out into the light, opened his mouth and dulcet tones proclaimed:

\- "I want to break free~!

\- "I want to break~ free…

\- "I want to break free from your lies

\- "You're so self-satisfied

\- "I don't need~ you."

Yumina's cheeks burned with hot humiliation. All right, so she spoke up before thinking. Did they really think so badly of her? How… arrogant she must have sounded. She bowed and shut her eyes, putting her balled up hands over her knees.

Did she deserve this? She looked around but she couldn't even see the face of her father or mother. She was hot in the spotlight, alone and flayed open.

\- "I've got to break free…

\- _/"God knows,"/_

and here a second voice joined the first.

\- _/"God knows I want to break free…"/_

Zah Playa gyrated out in the open, shouting into some strange black tube. Yumina looked at his true self, and it was almost completely dark. But the core of it shone brighter than sun, so much it that was almost blinding.

\- "I've fallen in love,"

The voice sang with heartbreaking beauty,

\- "I've fallen in love for the first time,

\- And this time I know it's for real~…

Then two voices, male and female proclaimed _"/God knows/,_

\- _/God knows I've fallen in love."/_

As the song continued, Yumina stopped looking for her own humiliation and just listened to it. They were performing in front of her, and the meaning of it escaped her.

\- "It's strange but true~

\- "I can't get over the way you love me like you do."

Playa vanished from her sight.

And then Yumina yelped as the sweet voice came out too close to her side. She stepped back as he loomed over her. Yumina giggled uncontrollably to herself as she found that the only thing she could focus on was noticing how Playa had just these kissably womanly lips.

\- I've fallen in love.

\- I've fallen in love for the first time.

 _\- /God knows/_ I've fallen in love.

She stared entranced as he enunciated the sounds again.

\- "Oh how I want to be free… bebeh~

\- "Oh how I want to be free…"

Yumina nodded. She understood that he could not afford to be chained down by any noble titles. "I'm so-"

\- "Oh how YOU WANT to BREAK FREE."

What.

\- "So baby can't you see…

\- "YOU WANT TO BREAK FREE."

He jerked back from her and began to jank his knees and hips out. Yumina put her hands to her face but completely failed to cover her eyes. How… how indecent!

\- "Oh we've got to break free…

\- "We WANT to break free, yeeheeaah,

\- "WE WANT WE WANT WANT TO BREAK~ FREE"

Every note was like poking her spine with a live bolt of lightning. Yes, only someone utterly shameless could do this sort of thing. Someone completely free. Uninhibited.

Who is Yumina Erneas Belfast?

Crown Princess of Belfast.

And everything that ever weighed down on her young shoulders from that fact.

Who is Yumina…?

Without Belfast?

The darker the shadows, the brighter the light. And vice versa. Lady Monika was nowhere to be found and yet everywhere. The darkness loved the light.

\- "Oh we've got to break freee…" he crooned.

Playa smiled at her. "Oh we will. Be. Free."

The light of the early morning returned to the room, and Yumina found that her parents were not so far away after all. But now she was sitting down with Playa's face a little too close to her face and his hands on either side of her head, grasping the backrest of the dining chair.

Cutting off her escape.

Intimate.

Now she could see that he had pushed up the thing on his face over his forehead, now exposing most of his face. But behind that blocky black visor, Zah Playa had another mask, a more compact white one with matte lenses that hid his eyes. Nevertheless she could see his tall nose and high cheekbones.

And that dastardly self-assured smirk.

And then he said "I understand. This palace is a little too dangerous for you right now. Isn't that right, Your Higness?"

Yumina from the corner of her vision saw her father start to relax, and nod. "That is true. If they dared to poison me here in the place I thought I was safest… then this place isn't safe for Yumina at all."

 _/"You are Yumina Ernea of Belfast!"/_ said Monika, from the other side, her voice too close to Yumina's ears. The Princess eep!'ed and blushed again. _/"And for us no political marriage can ever be worth giving up on love …"/_

 _/"But if you just want to be swept off your feet out of this castle by some tall dark stranger…/_

"I, Zah Playa of Chara, would be happy to oblige."

Her earlobes nipped with cold. Lady Monika's amused little chuckle was not comforting at all!

It seemed he thought about it and very quickly came to the conclusion that taking her out of the castle for her own anonymous protection would be better than just trying to keep her locked up under guard. But how could a King trust her virtue to some stranger?

Yumina felt like s̷l̷a̷p̷p̷i̷n̷g̷ punching him in his pretty little mouth for that.

They could not be chained down that easily, but even as they rejected her they still found a way to give her what she wanted.

She reached out and put her thumbs into his mouth and pulled at his cheeks to make it a grin. "You ARE a good person," she said firmly.

The brightness of his true self shrank down almost to a pin-point, ringed black by shame and refusal.

Why?

-.

-.

Yumina lay down on her bed. Face down.

"What in the heeeeckk was thaaaaaat," she groaned out.

Her lips quirked, her cheeks blushed again at the memory, and then she screamed and pulled a pillow over her head.

"Oh I can't believe I had been so shameless! So direct! So vulgar…! Aaaah~!"

She began to roll around on her bed. "Mother! Father! This is the man I'll spend the rest of my life with! What was I thinking?! How… how humiliating!"

There was a far-off boom. Yumina's attention was drawn to outside her window for a moment, and then she turned back to see –

Sushie Ernea Ortlinde was suddenly standing in her bedroom, staring down at her.

Yumina yelped and scooted away from the younger girl.

"How nice for you," coldly said Sue.

"Um. Hello. What brings you… here... cousin?"

"I know what you did."

Oh. Well. "I'm sorry. I overstepped my place. That was…"

"You thought just because you were Princess, you could get anything as long as you asked for it, didn't you?! And you… you did! Just because you're a Princess, just because you're a little older, (just because you have battle magic okays at least that part is understandable), now you have Sir Zah around your fingers too!"

Sue pointed at her with her white-gloved hand. Tears dripped from her face. "Even this you're going to take from me! I saw him first! I was… I just wanted to be happy with him spending time with me, and now just because you're a Princess… it's not fair! It's not fair!"

Sue clenched her fists, and for a moment there Yumina was afraid Sue would attack her. A difference of two years meant a lot, even so with their year of sixteen months. Sue was biologically closer to twelve, while Yumina was closer to fifteen. Sue only had [Light] magic, Yumina was trained in actual combat magic in [Earth] and [Wind]. But Sue had been trained personally by Sir Zah, there was no telling what she was capable of now.

But Sue just dropped to the floor on knees and wailed. "It's not fair! It's not fair! Waaaaah!"

Yumina got up, and hesitantly tried to take her cousin into a hug. Sue didn't resist.

"Hush now… it's going to be all right," she whispered as she stroked her younger cousin's back. "I'm sorry. Of course it's not fair… I mean… look at you!" Then louder, "Look at you!"

She fluffed up Sue's hair and strongly said "What's a Princess? That's nothing compared to you! Look at you! You're younger than me and you're already so accomplished!

"When my father was dying all I could do was just to sit there looking pretty. How useless! You… you may not have cured my father, but you did help save his life! I should thank you forever for that!

"You're younger than me… but so what? You're the one they like best! Sir Zah and Lady Monika! Do you really think they'd spend so much time around you if they didn't enjoy your company? You're so cuuute.

"You… you're even going to grow up to be so much prettier than me," Yumina sighed. She had already given up on that. "The dignity of a Princess, but you… you get to do things I can't. You're allowed to laugh openly, you're allowed to be friends with common people, you're so brave you can talk to anyone without them trying to figure out hidden meanings in what you say. It's not fair that you get all the benefits of this station with much less of the responsibilities."

Yumina knew she would grow up to be a great beauty, but her prized quality had always been her own intelligence. Ironic given that her own father was the more personable of the two brothers, but now between the cousins it was Sue that was vastly more approachable, vastly more natural at making others feel comfortable in her presence. Sue had boatloads of charisma and that would make all the difference. Beauty was a common thing.

Look at Sue. She was one of the few people she knew of that was still so pure, even the darkness in her soul was little more than mischief.

"A Princess isn't anything to be impressed about," she sighed. "Not even my father could talk them into an engagement, just that in two years it would be something to consider. There is no political advantage whatsoever, this is something Lady Monika decided for her own amusements."

"But you're still allowed to travel with them and… and… try to make him fall in love with you!" Sue groused out.

A contemplative silence stretched out.

Then Yumina let out a little laugh, and Sue made a "hur hur hur" snicker. Yeah. Not even these two sheltered little romantic dreamers could believe that. Lady Monika was the gatekeeper and the one whose approval must be courted. At least without an engagement none of them needed to feel pressured like wearing an albatross around their necks.

But "I'm ten now. I heard Miss Elze and Miss Linze went out on their own to become adventurers when they were eleven. Going off having fun, being a hero for hire! Just one more year. Just wait!"

Yumina giggled. "Of course. Of course. If you could go adventuring with us, it will be just grand. I hope Uncle allows it."

"Uuuh. It's not fair if only you get to do this! I don't care if you're a Princess, I'm going to catch up to you soon!"

Yumina giggled agan, and sighed softly. "What's a Princess? That's nothing valuable at all. In the end behind that I'm just Yumina. I'm not powerful at all, there's so much I didn't know…"

Yumina Earnea Belfast pulled her cousin tighter into a hug. Her whole body tingled for tomorrow. She felt like her shameless audacity had just bought her all the rest of her life.

"/ _God knows_./ God knows I just wanted to be free…"

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) Freddy Mercury

(2) watch?v=eM8Ss28zjcE


	39. Guess Who's Back? Back Again

**Guess Who's Back? Back Again.**

* * *

-.

-.

A couple of days later found us back in Reflet and the Silver Moon Inn. With the [Boom], Micah rushed irritated out to the back yard. She wagged her finger ready to let out a scolding tirade, and then stopped at seeing me and the pretty young miss by my side. Yumina was wearing more modest, more common clothing, but the dull white fabrics still revealed a slim build and a youthful, pampered complexion.

"By the gods!" Micah gasped. "You've really done it now! I was mortified enough that you were turning my Silver Moon Inn into a den of sin, but at long last have you no decency, sir? Have you no decency!"

Yumina laughed weakly by my side. "Um…"

I crossed my arms and scowled. "Seriously, Micah? I should be offended."

Micah actually looked a little ashamed at that. She coughed into her fist and tried again.

"How about…. we're closed right now, but then in an hour an army of unmarried men are going to come in and just hang about playing their games and losing their money and drinking away in the middle of the day!

"You can't have a girl like that live in this place with all these shiftless losers and their stink! Heck, if I didn't own this here Inn, I'd say go stay at a more high-class place. I'd say get her out of here, she's going to be ungodly distracting... no offense dear."

"None taken," Yumina said with a smile.

I sighed. "Yumina. Micah. Micah. Yumina," I began pointing back and forth. "Paying customer. Inkeeper. Professionalism. Where?"

"Uggh. Fine. I don't got no good moral reason to turn away paying customers that promise to behave. Standard rates. How long?"

"About as long as the rest of us are staying here. Just take the funds out of petty cash."

"I really don't enjoy how you're rubbing in that your chickens and your chess club are earning this Inn more than room rentals. You are treating this Silver Moon Inn too lightly! This isn't your house, you know?"

I wiggled my fingers out at her. "But is there something wrong in wanting it to be?"

Micah pouted and looked away. "You… you are such a nuisance."

Yumina stared at her for a few long moments, then she smiled with approval. "A good person…" she whispered. She stepped forward and curtsied. "A good person makes a good home. This place is certainly worthy of being called such a home. Thank you, Miss Micah. Please take care of me."

Micah's gaze softened. "W-well… that is my duty and honor as an innkeeper, you know. You'll not be dissatisfied with my service, don't worry."

"You are going to be dissatisfied with her service," I interrupted. "Micah, get some extra dang maids already!"

"Shut up! I'm not handing this inn to youuu! Still my house, my rules!"

Yumina hid her mouth and giggled. "My, this looks familiar."

-.

-.

The boom of the [Boom Tube] woke up everyone around is the neighborhood. So Linze, Elze and Yae quickly went downstairs as soon as they heard that distinctive sound. Once again I got dirty looks.

Elze crossed her arms. "Playa! Explain yourself. What's this about?!"

"This is Yumina. Her home is a little dangerous for her right now, so she'll be traveling with us for a while."

"My name is Yumina," Yumina curtsied at them. "I am an Archer. I also have affinities of [Earth], [Wind], and [Dark]."

Elze grimaced but her eyes lost all suspicion. "Ugh. Yeah I can see how that would be useful."

"I am also quite… well versed in politics and procedure, and I was instructed I could be your adjutant about such matters."

"SUPER useful." Elze nodded much more appreciatively. "Playa's just going to cack it up pissing off too many people."

I had no counter to that. I specced mainly in DEX and Monika in INT, we needed someone with CHA to speak to people and negotiate for max effectiveness.

"If… if Miss Monika has already given her approval, then I have no complaints…" Linze added. "Hello, Miss Yumina."

"It is not my place to comment," said Yae. "You have this Yae's welcome, you do."

Yumina stared at each of them, and then beamed happily. "Such good people. We shall be the best of friends!"

-.

-.

Then after a while over breakfast, we got to chatting about what happened while I was away. Elze and Yae would need a couple more missions before being promoted into Blue rank adventurers. Yae however was now solidly Green rank and would promote at the same time.

I had also broken through from Purple or Apprentice Rank adventurer into Green or Third Rank adventurer, but since I didn't accompany them to turn in the quest my card could not be upgraded yet. Since we would be off to register Yumina as an adventurer anyway, might as well take care of it there.

"Enough about that!" Elze hissed. "The King! What happened to the King?!"

"The King… lives."

Elze let out a relieved huff.

"Why do you even care?" I asked. "Out of all us here, only Yumina's a Belfast native."

"Dead Kings are bad luck," Elze said definitively.

We could only stare at her. Wow. All the troubles of the kingdom summed up into a pithy phrase that technically wasn't even wrong.

"Behold, Yumina. This is how the common person thinks. Don't stress over the royalty's reputation so much, in the kingdom the only thing that matters is enough food to eat and enough peace to sleep."

Elze sneered. "Are you insulting me?!"

"Elze, the only way you could be any more common is if you were idly chewing on a blade of grass and had an accent like this here inkeep..."

"Hey!" Micah yelled at that remark.

"We did grow up on a farm, after all…" Linze had to remind her sister.

"But the common person ought to have common sense, and that's a great big rarity among people, you know? You're not two-faced, you face your problems squarely, you work hard every day and won't ever cheat or throw your troubles some other person's way." I smiled as I rested my chin over my palms. "And you know that's what I like about you."

Yumina stared sharply up at me. Linze's eyes widened, and then she sighed. Elze's cheeks flushed for a second, and then her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You're trying to flatter me. What did you do now? How much money did you make this time, Playa?"

I turned around and asked towards the counter "Say, Micah. There's an empty lot behind the inn. How much do you think it would cost to purchase it?"

"I dunno. Twenty, twenty-five platinum maybe?" It was not a big lot, only about half the size of the Silver Moon Inn.

I turned back to Elze. "Yeeeah. About that much, plus how much it would cost to put up a building and set up my first formal franchise restaurant. This place is getting too crowded to be comfortable for meals, we're getting revenues mainly through Bucket Meal deliveries."

"Wait. No!" Micah objected hotly. "Just… can't you just keep the chicken and get this chess club out of here? Get all these useless layabouts out of my inn!"

"Ahahaha. Sorry, but this sort of smoky casual atmosphere with common furniture is perfect for finding new talents. Mah Chickenjoy franchise needs a large enough area for kiddy playrooms and private function and party rooms for adults. Half the reason for dining anywhere is the atmosphere!"

Elze slammed her fist onto the table. "Dang it Playa! Be an adventurer or be a businessman! Pick one career already!"

"I refuse." I crossed my arms and raised my chin.

"I refuse your refusal." Elze crossed her arms and raised her chin arrogantly a little higher.

Soon enough we were both staring up at the ceiling.

"But why?" Yumina asked. "Why can't Sir Playa just pursue both his adventuring and his mercantile desires at the same time? What's wrong with trying to earn money without as much the danger of being an adventurer?"

Elze blinked. It was the first time someone had actually called her out for her obvious brain bug. "It's… it's not that I think it's wrong… what I think wrong is trying to do them both with all your energy. If you split your focus like that, can you really reach the apex with both things or doesn't that just mean you will do only moderately well with both things? You also increase the chances of failing at both.

"It's fine for someone to have a hobby, but you really need to make it clear what's your hobby and what's your main job, you know?" Elze mimed as if picking up boxes and setting them aside. "The only thing you can't buy is TIME, and you can only get back as much attention as you spend on something."

Yumina stared Elze's hands, slim but with calloused knuckle bones. She looked at Elze's face, which had an uncharacteristic look of seriousness. "So is your objection to this really just because it would be inefficient?"

"It's like this. If you're an adventurer, what you need to do is to / _train to get stronger_ / – you need to travel around to complete quests and fight and rank up. But a merchant or business owners needs to / _stay in one place_ / and / _pay attention_ /. If you're fighting monsters beasts you have to be thinking about their weaknesses. If you're a manager you have to be always thinking about how much money is coming in and how much money is coming out, and you have to mind how people are buying and how much money they have to spend.

"If you were just a simple shopkeep, it's fine to just stay indoors all day waiting for customers! But if Playa really wants his Chickenjoy to be popular, it's an insult to everyone else if he thinks he can have that with just throwing around some little tricks. He needs to really sit down and PAY ATTENTION. Look at what they want. What they're doing. What they're earning.

"What does he think we are, stupid?! Our money is valuable to ourselves too! There's plenty of other things we could buy – good food in the end, no matter if it's a commoner or a noble, it just comes out as poop!" Elze slammed her fists down onto the table again and insisted. "Poop! Golden poop!"

Yumina let out an unladylike "Snerk!" and leaned back. Clearly she was not expecting this word to be thrown at her face today.

"Poop!"

Or any day.

Which is why her gaze was full of glittering fascination staring at Elze. No one in her whole life would have dared to be so rude to her face.

Thunk. Linze's face met the wooden table. Elze continued her rant with all ebullience.

"Why should anyone be excited about just throwing away their money like that? Not everyone just keeps on lucking into money every time they leave the house! If you want to save money, cut down on luxuries! This is just the common sense of the person on the street! How dare he demand people to spend just because there's something there!

"I can't believe he really believes what he's saying about how he loves his franchise if he keeps on just playing around going from one thing to another! Business is business! Adventuring is a dangerous work! Take both of them seriously!"

Yumina blinked. "So you think… that the time investment required for these endeavors are incompatible with each other?"

"Yes! I remember that he wanted to become an adventurer to get fame and to be strong so that he could free Miss Monika and have the power to protect her once she's alive again! Money is just something you can get! Power is important! Before anything else, you need to be able to fight! You need to be able to fight your way out of whatever trap they put around you! What's the point of all this magic power if you're just going to sit around?!

"Money won't protect you from nobles! Money corrupts! You have to prepare yourself in a different way if you're going to turn money into strength!"

A thick silence descended inside the inn as Elze gasped for breath. She looked up and her face pinked in self-consciousness, but in the end decided not to regret what she had just said. I looked down at the white gloves on my fist. Elze wasn't even wrong. Char Aznable would not be so notorious if he did not have the ability to force his ideals onto reality.

And yet…

Yumina put a finger to her lips and pointed out "While I could say that personalities are different, and it may be possible for people to excel in two different fields at the same time... it's really quite curious" her voice pitched up here, "to realize that you have spent a / _significant amount of time_ / thinking about / _the time-value ethics of trade_ /."

I blinked. Monika blinked. "Huh."

Yae looked like she didn't think that was unusual. It was the wife's job to manage the home after all. A samurai's home was his wife's castle. She was the one basically in charge of all the details of keeping the fief afloat, in many ways her husband just gets a stipend for anything not related to warfare.

Linze, more familiar with her sister, suddenly looked enlightened. "Oh! Sis… so you / _do_ / care."

"Wawawah… w-what are you talking about?"

A catlike grin pressed itself onto my face. "Elze… are you… / _projecting?_ /"

Sheer terror entered Elze's face. "Wa... wa-what are you talking about?!"

I continued "You were feeling left out... and tried to drag me into something else because you didn't dare to appear needy intruding yourself into my interests? Interests that you couldn't reveal you also found interesting?"

"What? No!"

Yumina nodded. "Were you trying to convince Sir Playa about the unsustainability of his time investment?" She tilted her head to the side. "Or yourself…?!"

"No! I don't like chickens! I'm no money-grubber chickenmonger! "

("Hey!" Micah objected off to the side. "Although… yeah, I probably don't want to be that too. Things used to be much calmer in this here Inn.")

You grew up in a gol-dang / _farm_ /, Elze. It's too late to deny being a chickenmonger like that.

"But you're the one who manages our funds," Linze pointed out helpfully. "You've always been the most responsible one, and the reason why we left is so that we wouldn't be a burden to the farm anymore. There's few sources of income in Refreese, you said."

Linze slapped her fist onto her palm, suddenly remembering something that made a lot more sense now. "You said that being an adventurer was the fastest way of earning money while still maintaining our self-respect, because it's the only thing that allows you start from nothing."

"Well she's not wrong," I said. "Entrepreneurship requires capital."

"Yeah! And we came here to Reflet in the first place because Sis thought that we could get a better price for our crystal deer horn!"

"That was a mistake and now I know better than to be too greedy…" Elze whimpered while tracing circles into the wood with an index finger.

"I just remembered that it was Elze who was the first to understand my double entry bookkeeping! She probably instinctively does that about your funding, doesn't she?"

"There's nothing complicated or impressive about that, Playa, shut up," Elze ground out.

"From that point of view, being an adventurer is the most fiscally rewarding job," Yumina said admiringly. "No need to keep an inventory, no need to wait for the harvest to be ready, and unlike being sworn to a lord you don't need to spend your hours just standing around or getting into fights you don't really need. And there's always going to be monster beasts to fight. If you're good at going out to the wilderness, you won't even have to worry that you'd ever /starve!/

"You won't get rich by it, but you also won't get bored by it. Quite the decisive step, I should say so!" she concluded.

"Stoooooop…" Elze moaned and slumped down with her face onto the table. Her arms were held straight out across the table as if in surrender. "I'm not… someone that's so set on making money… I'm not like that! I'm just a crude punchy sort of person! Don't mind meee…!"

I crossed my arms and smirked. "Elze, it's too late. We know you're smarter than you'd like to pretend."

"Shuttt uppp. You're wrong. You're so wrong."

"… Um. Sis, I don't think that's a thing you're supposed to object to," Linze whispered.

"I'm not like Playa at all! I don't care about making money that much!"

"How silly. You know His Majesty owes you a Boon, right?" Yumina mentioned idly to me. "Just ask for half the treasury and you'll get it."

I sniffed contemptuously while staring at the ceiling. "Pft. What's the fun in that?"

"But if you just utilize more resources from the start, you could do more for more people."

"Water seeks the destination. Wind is the journey. A commandment from above weighs heavily, a bridge built from below lifts up all the people."

Yae and Yumina stared at me, and then began to rub their own chins, ruminating on the profound truths hidden within these words. Belatedly they realized they were doing things at the same time, and then nodded at each other in comradely acknowledgment.

Elze just groaned with her face pressed to the table. "He's just doing it to show offff….! As long as it's his business instead of something he did / _personally_ /, it's all right to be praised about that."

I gave out a barren little laugh. Yeah. Maybe Elze really did understand. A little too much.

And then Yumina asked "But why / _chickens?_ /"

And Elze replied "There's a lot of reason. But mostly because it's cheap." Elze made a flat-palm gesture. "Easy to prepare. More profit." Palm up.

I slammed my fists onto the table and shouted "Elze! Stop being a penny-ante adventurer and become my Vice President already!" Instead of Wendy's, we can certainly have Elzie's!

"Screww youu…."

-.

-.

It was best not to reveal the truth of Yumina's identity inside the Inn, because Micah might hear and then act thereafter with extremely discomfiting servility. I planned on easing them into it with combat trials out in the wilderness as we sought to refine our new battle formations.

Monika found Yumina's plight cute, and that was enough reason to take her out of the castle. Despite how she might have thought herself a wise young lady, she was not really ready to be at ground zero of the extensive purging her father would be doing to his peerage. King Tristwin really wanted any excuse to get his daughter safe and out of there.

We would soon be heading off to Mismede as part of the official diplomatic party, Yumina's presence there would be good as a token of sincerity. However it would take a couple more days to prepare the ship and some hands-on practical magic exercises with monster subjugation quests would be a fine enough way of killing time.

But why an Adventurer?

Because no one would believe that the Crown Princess would actually deign to lower herself to just be muscle for hire. An Adventurer could just pack up and leave and be anywhere. The name Yumina was not all that unusual, because some commonfolk named their children Yumina for luck after the Crown Princess. She could hide almost in plain sight.

It would be unimaginably stupid to think that the Crown Princess would be roaming around putting herself in harm's way and protected only by four people.

So stupid that enough might think we're pulling a double bluff – it's so stupid that it might just be the Princess except that if they bite the bait then we might follow them back to the source.

Almost as stupid as thinking you could sneak up on the Master of Wind Magic and Monika's Hostile Radar.

I heard the clanking of metal boots upon flagstones and the rasp of steel weapons on their straps, and turned towards the door of the Silver Moon Inn.

-.

-.

The minimap showed five red dots walking down the street headed towards our inn. But as soon as they arrived in front and prepared to enter, they were intercepted by some white dots emerging from the alley nearby.

Five white dots barred the way. They were about ten steps away from the front of the door. Other neutral white dots, random townspeople, rapidly evacuated the street in a hurry. Wise.

Monika projected the minimap onto the table. We stared at the door then back towards the table, wondering if we should intervene. The dots outside had some small movements showing a verbal confrontation.

Then one of the white dots was suddenly pushed back, as if punched or hit. That was the signal for the other white dots to attack. Now the minimap boiled with activity. The five red dots shifted formation to a reverse diamond, protecting one specific hostile unit. The white dots spread out to surround them.

The red diamond formation moved forward and practically smashed through three of the white dots, sending them careening every which way. They were flung off and stopped moving, apparently having crashed to the ground.

And then even more white dots boiled out from the alley and nearby buildings. I counted. It was now about twenty (less three incapacitated or knocked unconscious) versus five.

Okay those neutral tagged white units were getting their asses soundly kicked. I saw one white dot get hit and zoom all the way down the street. Two more crashed into the walls on the other side of the street. We heard a loud thump as another one was rammed onto the closed front door.

There was a free-for-all going out there. I stood up, almost immediately followed by Elze. I tugged down at my white leather gloves, feeling the magic crystals sewn into the fingertips. Since it was breakfast time, she wasn't armed with her metal gloves. But it was for this reason that she had bought a pair of brass knuckles that could clip onto her belt.

Yae was, of course, armed. She was a swordswoman. She would never carelessly leave her swords behind.

Monika zoomed out the view a little to show an organized group of blue dots walking towards the battle outside. Town guards. They rounded the corner and took a look at the fighting and /turned around/. What. Why?

Micah caught the look in my eye and nodded. Swiftly she evac-ed out to the kitchen. We strode forth, opened the door, and beheld a scene of utter devastation.

Men in bronzed half-plate armor were strewn all over the place. A guy was rammed halfway into a window. Via his butt. He was now trapped in their with his legs and arms out but unable to get any leverage. Several more people were slumped unconscious across the street. Shards of ice and broken earth pierced the stone walls of nearby buildings.

The few remaining fighters with their weapons out now stood in a line as if prepared to receive a cavalry charge. But their opponents were just four strange women in strange outfits with even stranger weapons.

"My lord!" one of the armored men shouted upon seeing me. "Stay back! Please allow us to deal with these trespassers!"

Wait. He looked familiar.

 _/"That's Maldon. One of the soldiers we rescued along with Sue in that ambush… it feels so long ago now,"/_ Monika reminded me.

Then I heard a mocking "Ohohohohoh….!"

And I sighed.

"Of course. Zorah's back. Back again." And she brought friends.

-.

-.

"Smash them! Crush them! All those impudent fools who stand in our way - ! Show them their place, trod beneath our feet!" she screeched.

There were four fighters with her. The first was a large well-muscled woman with short light silver-blond hair, metal gloves and greaves. Another had a long-handled warhammer, a woman of average height and features with her dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Another had a long but thin basket-hilted cavalry saber, and her long black hair trailed behind her in silken waves. Finally the last had curly hair that was tied into two braids on either side of her face, and she carried a magic wand that looked more like a reinforced scepter. All of them wore a deep indigo cloak.

The Ortlinde men grimaced and hefted their weapons. They too carried single-ended swords, because at least the blunt side could be used to subdue people non-lethally.

"All right. That's it. Everybody. [Freeze.]"

I closed my fist, and then suddenly everyone else on the street had their feet up to the knees encased in ice. Those fighters in the middle of charging to attack fell flat on their face.

There were a series of cracking noises, and from behind those four garishly-dressed fighting women, Zorah Zornea Zenovivi stepped out with bits of ice clinging to her ankles. She was still dressed in an impracticable frilled red dress, but at least now her round bustle skirt only reached down to the knee. Her black stockings showed the outline of slim yet powerful legs.

From how everyone else couldn't move and were more or less glued to the street, I knew that breaking the ice without leverage required very significant amount of strength. My brows furrowed. Did she have some sort of [Null] ability for strength? Or… considering what I recalled of the last time we encountered her… something regarding maybe weight or density?

"Miscreants! Nothing here but fools who only pretend to be strong." She pointed at me with a pointed red finger, "And you, you rude creature – no longer are you satisfied to hide behind women's skirts, now you have brought a weak mob to defend you rather than face your sins boldly and openly like a gentleman."

I stared blankly at her. "You just beat up, like… twenty of the Ortlinde guards. With people you brought in; what even is this hypocrisy? And on that note," I turned towards Maldon, "What are the Ortlinde Guards doing here anyway?"

"We have been seconded to your authority, my lord." Maldon lowered his sword and gasped for breath. "Much as… inadequate as we may be. It is clear we have… underestimated… adventurers."

Well they were light horse infantry anyway. I opened my palm out and waved at the street. Abruptly the ice around all their legs melted away. Now that things had calmed down everyone separated back into two groups.

"Yes, you silly mallards," Zorah added. "You should turn proven adventurers into your house troops, instead of the reverse trying to turn good house troops into shiftless adventurers."

I glanced behind me, and found that Yumina had placed a white domino mask over her face in a hurry. It was possible that Zorah might recognize her face, and the whole point of this little expedition was to allow her to travel in relative anonymity. Linze frowned minutely at her until Yumina brought out another domino mask. Linze accepted the peacemaking gesture.

So, were they some sort of secret service? Sounds legit.

I turned back to the street. "I was not told about this," I objected. Then I blinked and realized. "Wait. There are twenty of you. Twenty good men."

"Yes my lord."

"… and I was away in Alephis for two days dealing with the King's poisoning," I muttered. "And since it takes *five days* to reach Reflet from the capital, this means you lot were here all along."

I knew who to blame for this.

Monikaaaa….

She popped up for a bit and made Jazz hands. _/"Surpriiiiise."/_

"Wait you just said something I cannot ignore and now I have an actual legitimate reason to crush you and bring you in for questioning," Zorah muttered.

Implying you knew you didn't have one before and fully aware you were just doing things for own petty whims?!

Zorah and I bared teeth at each other.

But because she knew enough to head over to the Silver Moon Inn I suddenly realized this meant that they were watching and gathering information on us too. This was dangerous for uninvolved civilians like Micah.

Then I turned back to address Maldon again, and paused. The streets behind him were clear of injured soldiers.

Okay, so the best bodyguards are unobtrusive ones, but since when were you ninjas instead of knights? "Wait… wasn't there supposed to be more of you? Why did you take away the injured? Dude, you know I'm a healer, right?"

Maldon turned back and then faced me again. "We cannot bother you with such trifling matters, my lord! A little pain is a reminder to do better."

There was something ashen in his tone. I was reminded abruptly that his brother died in the ambush to kidnap Sue, and now again and / _with even more people_ / his own strength proved insufficient to accomplish his duty.

"You may be an impudent guard who dares to howl at your betters, but at least you know the proper reward for your failure," said Zorah. "I approve."

Yeah no. Pain for pain's sake doesn't teach anybody anything. This is why even military training has been rigorously examined and reworked down to a science. "That is the most asinine thing I have ever-"

I felt a tug on the back on my cape. I turned around again to see Yumina shyly pulling at my back. She shook her head, pleading for me to stop antagonizing Zorah for now.

What was it about this woman that made her so profoundly irritating to me? Was it the voice? Yeah, I could easily fall in love with a voice. Her voice had this sort of grating high-pitched fake falsetto. Vocal range has a surprisingly large amount of relevance to how much people feel about other people. ⁽¹⁾

Too little tonal variance makes you sound robotic, boring, or arrogant. Too high and you sound shrill and nagging or whiny. Sudden manic changes will just make you sound insane. Deep voices from men are more pleasant, but trying to deepen your voice too often while speaking can damage the vocal chords. This was why I tried to develop an attractive resonance instead. I took cues from not just Char Aznable but Charles Aznavour.

"All right. Fine. Lady Zorah," and it took a lot for me not to add MISS FISHFACE like Legend of Zelda: A Link To the Past's Zoras⁽²⁾ to that, "… why did you even come here? What do you WANT?"

Zorah flipped over her feathered fan and hid the lower half of her face. Her eyes were like cutting blades. "As I said before, you must be made to pay for your sins."

"What sins, dang it?!" There were too many to list.

"I AM TALKING ABOUT THIIIIS!"

Zorah reached behind her, then flung a tube at my face. It slapped against my [Air Shield], which was always active but allowed physical objects below a certain velocity to pass through unhindered. The tube resolved itself into…

A magazine that dropped onto my waiting palm. I unrolled the magazine.

It was exactly as I had expected. It was FASHION KING ZANAC'S ADVENTUREWEAR.

"This is FILTH! PURE FILTH!"

Hey! I resented that! It took me a lot of cajoling to get Elze and Linze and Yae to pose for this! Aer even managed to badger Micah into a shoot. Monika's [Laser Printing] couldn't print out color photographs, but color engraved printing is 1500s technology!⁽³⁾ It just takes a lot engraving skill and multiple blocks, and while Europe prioritized line and tone for book illustrations by the 1600s color was the norm for East Asia.⁽⁴⁾

I began to flip through the magazine. Belfast was not a Puritan society. I've seen a lot of people go around with even less. What the heck was even her problem?

And then I found the page where Zanac and I were posing back to back. He was wearing a similar outfit to mine, complete with helmet and short cape. With his tired eyes covered, his broad-boned baby face made him look a fair bit younger. One could almost even think it was a photograph of two brothers. Because of his height, Zanac is the younger one.

Yes everything in the Zanac Adventurewear magazine were JoJo poses.

I flicked through the pages some more and ahaha oh wow I remember how Linze was so completely mortified by this pose with her sister. She actually broke down crying afterwards and Elze punched me in the face.

"YOU HAVE SOILED ZANAC WITH YOUR FILTH! SOILED HIS PURITYYYY!" Zorah screeched out. She took out another Zanac Adventurewear magazine and slapped it down to the ground. She began trampling on it, each stomp of her slim feet in high-heels punching through the paper and into the flagstones. "SOILED IT! SOILED IT! SOILED IT!"

Her back arched back. Wrryyyy.

I breathed out "Oh thank god it's actually something stupid instead of something like inciting war between Belfast and Regulus and putting your family first on the battle lines again when the fighting breaks out."

"What was that just now?!"

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

You were expecting maybe more tense political drama, but it was ME!

Team Rocket!

* * *

Footnotes:

⁽¹ newrepublic /article/121643/why-do-so-many-people-hate-sound-hillary-clintons-voice

⁽²⁾youtube watch?v=bp389o0jsQg

⁽³wikipedia /wiki/Intaglio_(printmaking)

⁽⁴⁾wikipedia /wiki/Woodcut#Colour


	40. We Will Not Let You Go

**We Will Not Let You Go**

* * *

-.

-.

"That was… a metaphor," I said in a carefully even tone.

 _/"Yes, totally FAKE NEWS,"/_ Monika whispered privately.

Zorah gave me a sneer that made her pasty white face look like a rabbit. "Enough of your irrelevant chatter! The man who purports to call himself the Zah Playa of Chara! You… you are truly not intimidated by my status as a noblewoman, aren't you?"

I could hear Yumina snickering and Elze sighing behind me. This lady was kinda pitiful in her sheer ignorance.

"Should anyone?!" Elze retorted from behind me. "Nobles who push around those weaker than themselves, who take and take and take just because they were born to other people who never had to work for anything in their lives…! Those are just the worst!"

"I completely agree."

"Bwuh?"

While Elze boggled, Zorah continued with her pursed red lips thinning out into a smile, "Respect must be earned. Nobles who take their will from the weak and give nothing in return are nothing less than execrable. But respect must be earned. If not by good works… then by force.

"So – you can say all those things, but it is not justice without the ability to live up to its yell. If you are not afraid to impugn the honor of your betters, are you prepared to deal with consequences? Can you prove your right to lay judgment… by the force of arms! The same way nobility was established in the first place, the same way it is perpetuated! By the precarious balance of powers!"

She opened her arms out. "Come, then! Oh you poor deluded souls! Prove to me that you are more than just meaningless boasts! Adventurers should not cry for fairness, they who put their lives on the line for mere money! For mere fame, for mere carnal release! You live and die only by your own hands!"

Huh. I was confused. Did she approve or disapprove of the standards of the nobility?

If it wasn't just for that /annoying voice/ I could probably treat her much nicer. It's like she's trying so hard to pull of this villainess act but instead of harassing the heroine she's somehow doing it against the demon king of a parallel world. Ahahaha.

Instead I just sighed and said "What in the flipping penguins are you talking about now?"

She let out a growling sound and shook her fist at me. "I challenge you pitiable pack of adventurers to a duel!"

I swept my arm horizontally, palm flat as if cutting the horizon. "I refuse."

"I refuse your refusal."

"I refuse your refusal of my refusal-"

"Ahem. Excuse me." Yumina coughed into her fist and inserted herself into the conversation. "Pardon me, but according to the rules and procedure of the contract between the Guild and the kingdom of Belfast – duels between nobles and adventurers are forbidden. Duels are only valid against those of the same social class in the first place."

"Well yes, but I do not directly challenge this man who hides behind the skirts of women."

I tilted my head in confusion. "… Did you not just see me shut down all of you with just a gesture?"

"Hmf. You say that like it's anything impressive. Sarah could do that too," Zorah huffed. "Isn't that right?"

"Indeed, my lady," said the mage with her. "Incapacitation of large groups is why magicians are important. Only amateurs and impoverished adventurers think that big flashy spells are the way to go." The mage woman sniffed and smirked at Linze. "And little girls with no endurance have no business standing around in the battlefield hoping to be protected by more worthy souls."

"So while nobles might not duel adventurers… adventurers can certainly challenge adventurers!" the long-haired swordswoman said.

"Yeah, the Guild doesn't really care how much we fight as long as we don't disturb good people," said the huge armored woman.

They then explained that these adventurers were hired to *very literally* teach Elze, Linze, and Yae a lesson. It would not be a fight to the death, but these adventurers were long-standing retainers of House Zenovivi and had the skills roughly equivalent to the girls' own specialties. It could be argued that they were *being helpful* with beating us down to the ground.

They would like to show us neophyte adventurers just how much further we have to travel in this road towards fame and fortune.

I bent down to whisper at Yumina's ear "This is such an obvious loophole. Is this even valid?"

"Yes it is, Sir Zah. However, since adventurers are taken by default to have no honor, they are not obligated to accept."

"Woooow. I should be offended by that."

Her lips quirked slightly with mischief. "But that is to your advantage." Then in a louder voice towards Zorah "Then what are the terms?! What is the profit behind this fight? You must offer something of value to make the fight worth compelling!"

"What am I, some merchant to be haggling over price? Ask from me whatever you want." Zorah opened her arms out again. "Come, then! You women who follow this suspicious man, show me why. Prove to me that you are not just weak in the head as well as weak in the body!"

I could feel Linze bristling with outrage behind me. Yae stepped up and there was the antagonistic *click* sound of a katana being pushed out of its sheath by a thumb. "There is no need for duels and terms. These people have made their intentions clear, Playa-dono. Let us just beat them down right here, right now, and be done with it, let us do so!"

"Yeah! It is punchface time!" Elze stepped up as well, followed by Linze.

"Um… bet a little something, please," Linze suggested softly. She opened and closed her fists. "I… would not mind… to test the limits of my capacity again."

"Wait, hang on- not in front of… huh."

They were all wearing white domino masks now. I looked down towards Yumina standing next to me, and she tilted her head aside trying to look innocent.

I looked up again and just had to say, "Yae… that look⁽¹⁾ doesn't suit you at all."

"P-Playa-dono!"

"It is the big hair and big brightly-colored bows on her head and on her waist," Zorah mused. "There is too much visual load around the head."

"With Elze and Linze at least with the deep purple trim on their arms with their center being white, it looks balanced," I replied.

"Yes it suits them well. They look good. But here there is also the clashing aesthetic of her Eashan robes with the western-style mask."

"What about a full black silk facemask⁽²⁾ for this mysterious heroine, leaving instead only her soulful eyes?" I waved my hand over my mouth.

"It has potential. It certainly is an interesting contrast with her pink battle robe, but it feels like her face would just disappear right into her hair."

"Hm. Well there is the possibility of opaque sunglasses⁽³⁾…"

"What are sunglasses?"

Yae blushed and fidgeted under our gaze. Then there was a sudden but long pause. Zorah and I realized we were pointing fingers at each other to illustrate our talking points.

Then we flipped our wrists over and snarled "HAAAAAH!" at each other.

"ANYWAY," Zorah huffed and crossed her arms. "Show me what passes for valor among your misbegotten kind!"

I raised my hand. "Could I just abstain from this fight? Like, I have zero reasons to entertain your nonsense. Zanac is *already* my friend. I like showing off sometimes, but I am confident enough in my own power that I don't have to keep throwing face on other people."

"Oooh, snap. Did you hear that, mistress?" one of her guards whispered in affront.

"Yes, how dare he call you an idiot who doesn't know her own power!"

"In all my ten years of service protecting you milady, never have I seen someone so impudent as to call you someone unemployable who has too much free time on her hands!"

Uh. Are you guys, like… allies at all?

"J-just like I expected from a coward like you! Have you no shame! Have you no honor?! Can you at all stand with having women fight for you? They deserve better than this!" Zorah roared out.

I let out a little laugh. Yeah. I was born in 2001⁽⁴⁾, traditional gender roles aren't enough to spur me into action. "You dare call yourself a lady when you're roaming around ordering people to get beaten up for your fun?"

"… well, he's not wrong," one of her female guards said.

"Shut up Lydia," Zorah hissed aside from the corner of her mouth. "Ladies of the Zeno family are not like those mincing useless baby breeders! Everybody needs to be able to fight to protect the things they care about. Let not the dignity of the Zenovis be trampled, for that is the first step to weakening the living wall that guards this nation. Let them not forget just how closely we all stride on the edge of annihilation."

I raised my hand again. "Objection. Zanac."

Zorah hid her mouth behind her fan again and her eyes crinkled up in amusement. "… Fufufufu. Just because Zenfield is a cadet branch… what in the world makes you think that Zanac can't fight?"

Huh. "Okay. That's… fair. I apologize." Just because Zanac has this open and friendly personality doesn't mean he should be treated as defenseless. "I guess being the height to be at the perfect punching range for other people's genitals would make him really dangerous."

Zorah forcefully snapped her fan shut and pointed at me again. "Yes, I must clearly beat respect into your skull. That is the only way you can learn."

 _/"… well she's not wrong,"/_ mused Monika.

Nooo. Muh dark history.

"But really, there is nothing I want from you. You can't convince me to accommodate this silliness, we don't have time for it. We have an important mission in a few days."

"Your chicken is mediocre. I will teach you a better recipe," said Zorah.

"YOU DARE?!" I raised my fist and shouted back "I WILL DESTROY YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR except for Zanac because we still need him to sew more outfits."

Yumina quizzically looked up at me. "Are you being serious, Sir Zah?"

"I am perfectly serious. ZENOVIVI WILL BE THE HOUSE THAT FRIED CHICKEN DESTROYED."

"Really really?"

"… No."

Zorah laughed mockingly "Fu fu fu fu… Well, if a man like you truly needs incentive, I know what you long for! Behold!"

Zorah reached into a hidden pouch and then brought out a large gold-and-platinum key. "The Master Key to Alephis' finest whorehouse! With this you may request for anyone you want at any time! Whatever beauty, whatever scenario!

"Should you happen to win, then sate all your dark desires until you die!"

Well a warehouse would certainly be useful, I could set up a production line or a studio wait what.

She stood there proudly, brandishing the key like Link having just found the Master Key to a Dungeon, needed to open the Boss Room and face the enemy within.

"Wooow," I breathed out.

"Oh my gods," Maldon palmed his face. "Is this happening? Is this really happening?"

Linze eeped and hid behind her sister.

My lips began to widen out into a very amused Grinch-like grin. And then slowly, even through her thick pasty makeup, a dawning look of horror began to crawl across Zorah's face.

"I am actually very impressed that you even have that," I said gently. "I am sure it must have been such an ordeal for a Lady to… acquire such a prize."

Honestly, if I had been in a romantic relationship with the girls this would have been really insulting. Any slightest hint I may be tempted would drive a wedge of jealousy. But instead? THIS IS HILARIOUS. Look at her. Belfast intel gathering a shite. Monika was cackling loudly in my ears.

"S-s-shut up. Shut up! Shut up!"

"Stay strong, Milady!"

"Unforgivable! How dare you imply that our lady is a wanton woman who indulges herself among courtesans instead of having acquired this Key in order to tempt foolish men into bets they cannot fulfill?"

"Yes, there is totally nothing suspicious going here. None. There have been absolutely no dalliances with no brothel madams."

"She has visited the whorehouse only that one time. One time."

I smiled very very thinly and said in as friendly and conciliating tone as possible "… does Zanac know you have this?"

"CHANGE OF PLANS I WILL MURDER YOU RIGHT NOW WITH MY BARE HANDS," Zorah screamed shrilly. She screamed and leaped to tear open my throat like a completely berserk lioness.

Ohshi-

-.

-.

Ka-thoom.

Swish.

A crater about a meter wide and almost shin-deep abruptly sunk into the ground at almost the same time I slid to a stop several stride lengths away down the street. I had Yumina in my arms in a literal Princess carry. She blinked in confusion.

"Light on your feet, are you not…?" Zorah whispered darkly.

I grinned. I looked at the rim of the crater around her feet. It was fascinating how smooth it was, an almost perfect circle and a shallow pit. It was like matter was erased around her feet, except that I could see fine white dust staring to fall down around her like a halo. "Respectable," I whistled.

"Be careful, Sir Zah!" Yumina whispered as I put her down and she retreated to a safe distance away. "The Zeno family are known for their strength enhancements!"

"Ours is the strength to shatter mountains! Gods shall humble themselves before a Zenovi's will would break!" Zorah declared as she strode out of the pit with all the ponderous bearing of a giant robot. I could even hear strange creaking noises. "And now I will break. Your. Face."

"Oh nooo. She has lost control," one of Zorah's guards said flatly. "Whatever shall we do?"

"Wait, hang on. I have a solution."

A slap. "This is not the time for snackings, idiots!"

"T-that's right! Should we help?"

"This is a time for our pay NOT to be cut again for excessive property damage!"

"…"

Zorah gave a strangely unladylike roar and shot forth, her right fist reared back to punch. I stomped down on the cobblestones with my boot and thrust my palm out in a basic horse stance. "[Earth], Pillar, [Spike!]"

A blunt stone spike shot out of the ground, and Zorah was unable to keep from ramming her chin into it. The rock spike shattered on contact like it was nothing more than crumbly bread, sapping none of her momentum. Everything that touched her body shattered into pieces and blew away like powder.

I side-stepped quickly, but she arrived fast enough that her punch clipped the edge of my [Air Shield]. I could feel the whole thing just spin around me before my feet touched the ground again.

 _/"Player! I just calculated the strike force of that hit – it's equivalent to two tons at sixty kph!"/_

Huh. There's saying someone hits like a truck - and literally hitting with all the force of an actual trailer truck. Even Elze would have to multiply her [Boost] several times over to equal that.

Interesting. Her power… it's not changing her weight, isn't it? It had something to do with apparent mass and/or density.

 _/"You're smiling. I guess you're starting to like the thrill of battle now too, right? Elze will like that, at least. This is the true adventurer lifestyle."/_

I swept my hand out to reverse my open palm to pointing down. "[Water!]" A strong gout of fresh water sprayed out of my hands towards Zorah's face.

Blargh?

The water struck her face and turned into mist. She held her hand up to shield her face anyway. Her makeup ran down her neck. For a moment there I could see the real shape of her mouth and chin. "… N-no!" she screamed.

And then strong hands grabbed around her slim corseted waist and hoisted her straight up.

"… What, no!" Zorah yelped. "Let me go!"

"That's enough of that, milady," spoke the huge adventurer woman. "The reason we were hired was so you would not have to fight at all."

"Y-yes. Please calm down, milady."

"Mylah! Do not disobey me! How dare you! Let me go!"

"Hrgh!" Mylah bent down, her arm muscles suddenly bulging and straining to keep the noblewoman aloft. Her face twisted up into a pained grimace.

And then Lydia, the swordswoman from earlier, sidled up right with her index finger held up menacingly. "No." She stabbed Zorah's side with her finger.

"Gheeek!" the noblewoman screeched and bent her waist almost to a 'U' away from the touch. Zorah was apparently extremely ticklish. The heavy feeling vanished.

"Milady, please consider the social contract," said Lydia. "Your grandfather is the one that hired us, and so if you want to sow terror at least do it outside of town."

Zorah began waving her arms and legs about but had no leverage to free herself. "No! Mylah, let me go!"

"No we will not let you go," the large woman rumbled out.

"No, no, no, no!" Zorah screamed as her hired adventurers evacuated forthwith, still holding her aloft like she was a kayak being carried over land towards the next river.

Lydia remained. "I trust your words of acceptance earlier still hold? Please head over to Fashion King Zanac to work out the details of our duel. Please do not make us return," she said, only half threateningly.

And then she ran for it, following the rest of the group as they rounded the bend out of view.

Leaving a damaged street, bruises on the Ortlinde guards, and befuddled expressions as the only evidence they had ever been there.

Slowly I relaxed out of my combat pose. "What the heck was that…?" I mumbled out. Then I groaned and palmed my face. "I've been in Reflet for less than an hour!"

Yumina looked towards Elze and Linze. "Is this… normal for you?" From the pinched look on her face, she was wondering if this would become normal for her too.

"Yeah sure," said Elze.

"Um, we have only known Reflet for about as long as Mister Zah does. And… this sort of thing is not unusual, to our experience."

Yae looked away, unwilling to say but implying it anyway {You all Belfast peoples be crazy, hai desu}.

My head snapped towards Yumina. I slinked over and bent down to put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up nervously as I loomed over her.

And then I asked "Tell me everything you know about South Belfast's political situation."

Yumina brightened.

Belfast's intelligence gathering was shite. I refused to be blindsided again, next time it might not be mostly harmless weirdness. If we allowed ourselves to fall into a false sense of security, like the King that would open us up to poisoning and stabs in the back or all sorts of false accusations.

Man, what was it with Belfast's nobility? Was it something in the water?

 _/"You realize all this weirdness is just following you around, right? Being who we are, we can't escape it, Player."/_

-.

-.

I healed up the guards and then asked them to disperse. The Inn didn't have the capacity to just have them hanging around. Obviously they already knew this, because they had already been hanging around surreptitiously for the past two weeks. They had their own accommodations.

Maldon put a hand to his chest. "My lord, please rest easy. No harm shall come to this Inn while you are away on your mission."

You're going to need more than just force of arms for that, dude. Leaving aside how Zorah is willing to go against Ducal authority, perhaps it was time to abuse Royal favor. Or seriously just move out to our own place so that this simple Inn stops being targeted.

"I just remembered that it was ZANAC who actually referred us to this Inn." I raised my hand again as if asking for permission to speak in class. "Does this have something to do with how Micah's dad is so obviously a Belfastian spy to Mismede?"

Elze said flatly "What."

"My father is WHAT?!"

"Umm… how ever did you come to that conclusion, Mister Zah?" asked Linze.

"I've been looking at the account books. Dolan works as a spice trader on the side and spends A LOT of time going between Mismede and Belfast. Somehow the Silver Moon Inn still manages to stay afloat even though it doesn't have many customers. I've been checking the trade records and there's not enough inventory to actually make up the difference.

"If it wasn't for his… enthusiasm to visit the free ladies in the capital last time he guilted me into bringing along the business owners of the town in compensation for how annoying our [Boom Tubes] have been waking them up and surprising them at odd times of the day… I'd have thought he had a family over at Mismede. Even now he's gone again to Mismede for business purposes… well ahead of us."

"Well if I wasn't so suspicious about you before, now I am, what the heck Playa!" Elze murmured.

"No way! My dad's too dumb to… oh dang it, now I won't be able to trust if he's playing dumb with me when I ask him things. I should have been suspicious when he turned out to be any good at your chess king game!" Micah groaned.

She set down a tray of sandwiches and went back to the counter. She sat there and cradled her head in her hands. "Oh gods! And visiting brothels with the money we earn… I have lots to scold him about when he gets back!

"If he had family over there, I wouldn't even mind as long as he told me about it and he started it after my mother died. I'm a grown woman now, I can deal with that. But if he's just being stupid again…" She shook her head. "Mister Playa, I kinda hate you now, that you put this thought into my mind."

Linze narrowed her gaze. "Has Mister Dolan been reporting about us to Miss Zorah?"

Maldon winced. "Please forgive me, but I have no idea."

I shrugged. "Nah, his tradecraft is probably about national concerns, not these little gossipmongery."

"How insightful… as expected from Sir Zah," Yumina nodded.

 _/"We have eyes,"/_ Monika said ominously.

Yumina leaned back and rubbed at her own chin. How cute. She was imitating my mannerisms now. "I wonder… do you have an ulterior motive too for being so obsessed about chicken? If you want to make money, obviously there are faster ways of acquiring it. An adventurer should not need to mind inventory and trade routs.

"Instead of just a simple restaurant, this 'franchise' of yours is a unified brand that seeks to spread out across different towns and cities. It sounds the perfect cover to insert spies into the region."

"No, not at all. Franchises MUST be locally owned. If it had such obvious oversight it wouldn't be any good. Only the quality, the pricing, and the overall aesthetics need to be uniform."

"Then why…? Do you just want to be underestimated?" She blinked again and peered closer. "I see. What if no matter how powerful you get, as long as people can keep thinking 'Oh. It's just the Red Chicken man', people can remain comfortable around you. They can interact freely with you."

She began nodding. "A wise strategy, very wise. The peerage can't get away with that, we have to mind the appropriate levels of prestige."

Ahahaha. "Sure why not."

Linze's gaze towards Yumina sharpened. She whispered under her breath "I see. I should have expected this."

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) dl. dropbox \s\8wr7p4v5wwopyxv\Yae2a png

(2) dl. dropbox \s\7u2p8zdl68xyybr\Yae2b png

(3) dl. dropbox \s\gty12ln8dh74xap\Yae2c png

(4) Remember that Playa and Monika come from slightly to the future past the 2020s.


	41. Leave Your Place to Your Peril

**Leave Your Place to Your Peril**

* * *

-.

-.

Yumina stared at the inside of the Adventurer's Guild with undisguised fascination. They stared back at her with equal interest. While she was wearing common clothing there was no disguising the poise by which she walked, and the careful grace in every movement.

Sue's gaze said {'You! You are interesting! Tell me about you!'} while Yumina's gaze implied {'I appreciate the fact that you exist'}.

("Wait, is that him?")

("That Purple bastard, now he's letting a girl that young work for him?")

("Heard he couldn't even be bothered to turn in the quest, that leech. He just sits around and makes girls earn money for him!")

Okay that last one I can't even object to, because it was true that without Aer's girls the Chickenjoy franchise wouldn't even be taking half as much in revenue.

And so while Yumina filled out the form and we waited for the order of Guild fried chicken to arrive, we set out theories on new battle formations using some of the toys included in the Happy Meal Buckets.

We were a five-man band now. Generalist. Mage. Archer. Punch. Sword. Three melee, two ranged. So we could go around in three-two double line, or something like an X formation, or two frontline three backline with Yumina at the center because archery is much faster than casting but better done while standing her ground. Unlike magic however, arrows cannot guarantee a lethal hit on the first hit.

Then we simulated an attack with some loose pebbles. Elze and Yae could kill on a hit, that was no problem. Linze's affinities were [Fire] [Water] and [Light], while Yumina had [Earth] [Wind] and [Dark].

Could we combine Fire and Wind for a stronger flame attack? Was frozen rock wall stronger than a regular rock or ice wall? It really bugged me that this magic system didn't allow for element combination like say, the Naruto system. And DnD at least had the decency to separate spells by effects into tiers.

We had a couple of days to get into the groove before going up against a group of more experienced adventurers. The tricks we were using made us powerful, but the slightest mistake could destroy our fighting ability – we had awesome attack power, but we all still remained just as squishy as any other person.

I still had no idea why we had to take this hassle in the first place.

"The Zenovie Family… they just like to fight." Yumina paused to emphasize, "A lot."

The Princess explained that the House of Zenovivi is actually distantly related to the Royal Family of Regulus, but were trusted as the most loyal among the nobles of Belfast. That was because they were so prickly that they were not worth the hassle trying to make them part of your conspiracy. All they really cared about was the security of the Zenos Marche and were willing to fight anybody that tried to mess around with the Belfast-Regulus border.

"But… Zanac. Zanac isn't like that."

"How old do you think Mister Zanac is?" Yumina asked.

"I dunno. Late thirties? Forties?"

"That means he was of fighting age twenty years ago. He doesn't have a useful combat power." The Princess sighed softly and looked away. "He must have seen most of his family die. The Zenovis almost made themselves extinct as a noble house fighting Regulus. Zenfield is just a cadet branch of the family, and imagine how that feels like for Mister Zanac's wish to be known as a King of Fashion. Twenty years ago… he must have been just starting to earn his fame."

I thought about Zorah. If she is younger than Zanac but actually his aunt… why is she obsessed about protecting him? I thought back to Zanac's easy generosity, his rapid trust in people.

"Huh. Zanac is her Sue, isn't he? As long as someone bright and boldly optimistic like that exists in the world, it proves that all the suffering you've done to keep it turning was worth it all."

"Oh." Yumina's gaze softened and she looked away. "I guess…"

I chuckled and put a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. "I don't fight for nations. I fight for people. You're adding to the reasons Belfast is worth protecting."

She sighed softly. "Thank you for that, at least."

"But still, that lady be craaaaazy."

"I'm sorry, Sir Zah. If you entertain her challenges, she's just going to keep coming back. But if you don't she's going to keep coming back but twice as annoying. You / _could_ / try to be such a worthless person that she would give up in disgust…"

Monika peered at me from the edge of my vision. _/"Do you dare…?"/_

"Please do not bring in outside food, dear customer," a passing waitress warned.

"There no food here, see?" I replied, while wiggling a carved wooden action figure. "The Guild's restaurant and request handling businesses are supposed to be separate things, right?"

The waitress just snorted as she moved on.

Yumina looked up from her form and asked "Umm, excuse me Sir Zah, but are you perhaps… disliked?" She looked very incredulous at why I took no offense at being so blatantly maligned by so many people while I fearlessly drove a marchioness-heir to frothing rage for much milder insults.

Yae pursed her lips and stared at some laughing adventurers nearby. They were men garbed in leather armor. "Truly, the frog that lives in the well knows not of the world outside, it does not."

"It's just simple jealousy." I shrugged. "I knew I would have to deal with heavy stares when traveling with such pretty girls."

"Eeeeh?!"

"Wa-wa-what the heck, Playa. What are you saying that for?!" Elze hissed, blushing. Fortunately she was sitting across the table from me and thus outside of punching range.

"Um. Please don't be embarrassing me, Mister Zah," Linze cringed.

"I'm not cute!" Elze insisted.

"Well *of course* not-"

"Oh good."

"Elze, you are *beautiful*."

"Dang it Playa!" Elze growled and slammed her fist down on the table again. Though more softly compared to her antics inside the Silver Moon Inn. Elze had some idea of public propriety too. "I'm a crude sort of woman, my mouth is a little too wide, and… um…" She glanced down.

"Elze, you have the same face as Linze, the only thing that's different are your hairstyles and your habitual expressions." I laced my fingers together under my chin. "And Linze *is* devastatingly cute."

Elze eep'ed and blushed so hard she was almost ready to set herself on fire. Yumina paused from writing down on her form and stared at me with a faintly disbelieving expression.

"And only the truly blind would not appreciate Yae's exotic beauty."

Yae had a blush on her face, but only nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you."

"Um… me? What about me?" Yumina asked softly.

I put a hand to my chin and thought about it. Then I waved nonchalantly. "Eh. Eight out of Ten Sues."

"Oh…" She looked downcast.

Monika looked stunned, and whispered _/"What is this? Is this negging? Player, are you negging?!"/_

I grinned and reached out to fluff the top of Yumina's light blonde hair. "Just kidding. You're a pretty little princess, ten out of ten."

"Ehehehehe…"

"Mister Zah, please…" Linze was hiding her face in her hands. She was not as embarrassed for me but more embarrassed *of* me. "How could you even say these things out in public…? Won't Lady Monika… be angry?"

"It is because you know who holds my heart," I tapped the thing on my face "That I can say these things so easily. Because they're simply the truth."

"… One… one of these days, you're going to go too far and I'll have to feed you your own liver," Elze mumbled.

(JUST DIE ALREADY, YOU FILTHY GOOD-LIFER!") I heard someone scream with clenched fists from behind me. My trollish grin only intensified.

Hur hur hur.

"May that day come soon," sighed Elze.

-.

-.

The door to the Silver Moon Inn slammed open.

"THAT WAS NOT A METAPHOR!" Zorah screamed into the room. "WHERE IS HE?!"

It was almost sundown and because her father was out traveling, Micah decided to just open the chess club section of the Inn during the mornings. Now she was alone, mopping up the floor.

Micah, no matter how much she was willing to heap complaints on her business partner, was still just a commoner. She only had some mild magic, and had little real combat experience. She quailed under the burning gaze of a member of the high nobility.-.

-.

-.

"ZANAC ZENFIELD!" I kicked open the doors and screamed into the room, "KING OF FASHION, I NEED YOU!"

"Oh goddess of mercy, I understand why Lady Zorah hates you so much now," Yumina moaned.

-.

-.

* * *

-.

-.

It was dark. We found Micah sitting in a corner in the dark and sobbing onto a rag. "Oh no… Micah…" I dropped to my knees beside her and touched her shoulder. "What happened?"

"She was here… she came back after you left…"

Oh no.

"What… what did she do to you?" I said softly, cursing that I ever thought that was Zorah was harmless. "Are you... are you all right?" No wait that was a stupid question. Why do people ask that? Obviously she wasn't. "Are you hurt?"

Micah hid her eyes in the balls of her wrists and hiccupped with tears. "… nobles… nobles are scary, you know? No sane person should get involved with them. They expect things from us just because they are… they expect so much more than we can give until the only thing we can give is blood… and then they say we lie when we can't give any more. No one SANE should anger a noble…"

I grit my teeth and my shoulders slumped. This was my fault. I forgot that there were innocent people that could be damaged by my comic rampages. "Micah, I'm sorry."

My hand on her shoulder stroked past the arch of her neck, and closed into a fist. Then in a voice tinged with sorrow and anger, I asked "Please. I'm sorry to ask of you so much more, but please tell me. How did she hurt you?"

"Words."

I waited for Micah's sniffling to stabilize. "Words can really hurt, you know?" she continued. "She came in and demanded tea. She demanded to know everything I could tell her about you…"

"And so of course you should have," I replied softly. "I would never mind…"

"I'm just an innkeeper. But this place… you called it your home. I was so scared, what could I do? I served her tea and we talked and she… that sort of person…"

Micah looked up, and her teary vulnerable face made my heart hammer. I didn't expect this sort of face from someone I had thought to be so reliable and inured to nonsense. Her long red hair in a ponytail quivered with spent emotions. "That was tea as my mother taught me. And when they say the floor should be clean enough to eat off from, that's just a metaphor! A metaphor!"

Oh no. "What did she force you to do?"

She grimaced and didn't answer. Instead she hissed out "Commoner's don't need justice, we just want to be left alone. Nobles come in and impose their rules and call it justice. Nobles tell us that we owe them our lives for keeping order… when they break everything when they just roll in and thing that just because they want it to happen, it will become true! I hate that. I hate it. I hate it. That sort of people…"

I winced.

"Adventurers are scum. And by that I don't mean they're bad people, but because they *float*. But if they get powerful enough, they can piss off nobles and get off scott-free. There's no justice there either. Doesn't this just mean that it's only the strong that gets to decide what's right? What's true? What if… what if we, the weak, don't want that truth? What if we're fine just the way we are?"

"… Micah. What happened?"

"Even a commoner should have aspirations. A life lived in mediocrity is wasted. Why? Why…?" Micah snarled and shrank back into herself. "What if I don't want to be more than just this? What if I don't want more money, more fame, more trouble? You! You brought this into my home… if you stand tall, you get chopped down. This is what happens! That's why you shouldn't try to be noticed by nobles!

"Maybe they're needed, because they're the ones that choose to fight. Maybe not, because they're ones that decide when it's a fine time to have a war again. But maybe… maybe… they should not be terrifyingly convincing..."

She reached out suddenly and grabbed at my face. She pulled at my cheeks, my left side feeling wet from her tear-soaked wiping rag. "Maybe they should not be so terrifyingly convincing at telling us things that might become true… that even a commoner like me can be SAFE if I would ever DARE to become more than what I am. That sometimes the BRAVE will be rewarded. That we are all put into this world to BE USEFUL, and everyone has their place. But even in the smallest place you can be the best there is at it… leave YOUR PLACE to your peril, this is a truth of the world…"

"Micah, I don't understand…" What did she say to you? Micah?

You…

You /are/ a pretty terrible innkeeper, you know?

She laughed a bit, seeing my thoughts from the incredulous tilt of my head. "I have small dreams, you know? Because I'm not that a strong person. Reach too far and you won't have the strength to protect and cradle to your bosoms the ones you love. You can love things more than people. I don't want that. I never wanted that… and that woman… she scared me, she scared me so much, because…

"She said that she was *exactly the same*."

Micah looked down and wiped at her eyes. She had stopped crying, but she still looked cold and uncomfortable.

"Micah, I'm sorry."

"I'm not like your girls, Playa. I don't like adventure. I don't like change. Ever since you came in here, it's been chaos. I admit it, it's fun sometimes. I like looking at you. Someone who is so free, so much more than I can ever be… I admit it, it's like fresh air into this stale old life of mine. Your business… your noble friends, your damn chickens… I can deal with that.

"But a home is where you're supposed to be comfortable, when you can feel you're SAFE. Leave your madness out the door, please."

There was a sound like breaking glass. Monika appeared beside her, a semi-transparent glowing ghost, and knelt down on the other side. She put down a cold, luminous hand on Micah's other shoulder and whispered _/"We understand. I'm sorry too, and we'll make sure not to trouble you any further."/_

"What the hay is this now?" Micah moaned, and then devolved into humorless cackling. "What… didn't you hear? What * **did I just say** *?"

I am truly sorry, Micah.

-.

-.

"Wait, wasn't Maldon's whole damn job supposed to be preventing this sort of thing from happening?" I asked later. "He was brave enough to go up against Zorah the first time, what happened to him now?!"

Micah pointed to the opposite dark corner of the room. Only then did we realize a different figure was sitting there in a fetal position, arms hugging around his own knees, and slightly rolling back and forth.

"What... did she do to him?!"

"Not words, not words at all…" Micah said in a terrified whisper. "She wanted to test his resolve…"

Let's just say the humiliation she put the guard through was almost literally emasculating.

-.

-.

* * *

-.

-.

"Monika, we need to talk."

 _/"We ALL need to have a talk."/_

It was in the deep of night. We sat in the empty dining hall of the Silver Moon Inn. Elze and Linze looked angry. Yae as usual looked imperturbable, but I could tell she was quivering with fury inside.

"Playa. You realize this is all your fault, right?" said Elze.

"No. No, I don't think it's fair…" said Linze. "It was Lady Zorah violated the sanctity of this place as our home ground…"

"Considering how he acts at Zanac's place…"

"But the difference is that Zanac and I are friends. And bros are totally fine literally taking 'my house is your house' for granted!" I interrupted quickly. "There an unwritten rules even among rivals! And this *codified* when it comes to noble etiquette!"

Elze sighed. "It's all still your fault. If you hadn't been such a jerkface when you first met her… I dunno, I have a feeling you could have been good friends."

I deflated. "I know. I was too arrogant. I was happy to feel like a bully and now… it's not supposed to be someone else that pays for it."

"It is a breach of guest rights and responsibilities," Yumina spoke after a while. Her voice was soft, and yet steady as steel. "The Zenovivi family have always been as popular with the commoners as much as the nobility shied away from interacting with them. They care… deeply. In fact I might even go as far to think that Lady Zorah might have been thinking she was offering useful advice even as she terrified Miss Micah."

"Are you defending her?!" Elze barked. "Just as expected!"

"No!" Yumina shot back. "I'm saying… Lady Zorah is probably more than slightly mad. Normal ways of trying to communicate and make her feel ashamed of her actions… probably won't work."

"So you're saying she's like Playa."

Yumina winced. She bit at the tip of her tongue rather than respond. And then, slowly, she nodded.

"I dunno. I think punching her in the face many many times might work," said Elze.

"Elze, when they say one hits like a truck, one did not usually mean to say with all the mass of a truck," I said. "And by that I mean, without Monika's stacking, she could probably break your fist then kick your ass. She's as [Earth] as Earth can be as much as I'm [Wind]."

"So what do you think should be done about this?"

"Well we're still going to have to humiliate her most perfectly for this somehow."

"Dang it Playa! This whole thing with making unnecessary enemies is the whole problem! You caused this and instead of taking a step back like usual you double down and double that!"

"What do you expect me to do about this, then?!" I shot back.

"Wait…" Yumina pointed out towards Elze, "are YOU defending her?"

Elze growled and threw up her hands. "I don't know! You're all annoying!"

"What she has done… is unforgivable," said Yae. "There must be justice, that must be so."

A long uncomfortable silence settled through the room.

 _/"Hugs."/_

"What?"

We all turned to Monika and she repeated _/"Hugs. Lots and lots of hugs. That is what Playa should do about this."/_

"Monika why."

 _/"Do you want to move out to keep her safe? Or do you want to STAY to make sure she's safe? This place… does it really feel like home to you? Is Micah just another landlady that makes our lives easier, or is she someone we call friend?"/_

"Of course she's our friend. That's why we're so pissed, you know?" I put a hand up to my face. "The only thing I fear now is if she still considers us any of that… instead of the weirdos she must endure, because now she's too scared to throw us out."

 _/"Money is the least of ways to show appreciation. Gifts *and* affection, surely?"/_

"Should we move out?" Linze asked. "I mean… please don't think that I mean anything against Miss Micah, but if people that Sir Zah angers will keep on following us home, I think it would be better if it was a place where we could set up lots of traps."

And once again I remembered why I loved it when Linze would go all Lara Croft. Despite that cute innocent face she had some rather cunning and merciless thoughts.

"It is kinda convenient to live near the center of town though," said Elze. Also meals, baths and laundry. Granted, we had enough money to hire a maid. But if we lived on our own Elze would feel too guilty and end up having to do her own housekeeping anyway and ahahah oh wow for all her talk of my becoming fat and lazy like a petty noble she was already spoiled by comfort.

She coughed into her fist and continued "I do appreciate Micah and everything she has done for us. So I think it's only fair to help her out as much as we're able."

Another heavy silence descended.

Now the question has been opened, it hung around our necks like a necklace made out of a dead albatross. Should we move out?

Our own lair would have many advantages. But it also felt like insulting Micah, saying to her that she was too small for our concerns, that we were moving up and on, enterprising adventurers while she was just another commoner who found the limits of how much she could contribute to our legends.

But I liked Micah, dammit. For all her lackluster performance as an innkeeper, she was stellar at actually making us feel welcomed and at ease. She was a very caring person that just didn't show it so easily. She was a very mothering sort of person.

"I don't know… I just don't know."

 _/"Are we done with the drama?"/_ asked Monika. _/"Because we have an even more pressing matter."/_

"What matter?"

 _/"We're fighting Zorah in a couple of days. That's what we told Zanac to tell her. But we will also be leaving Belfast a few more days after that. That makes the whole concept of 'moving out' a moot point."/_

"Miss Micah will be left alone!"

 _/"Yes. And the protection detail I had negotiated for had so far proven to be particularly useless. Light Guard Cavalry that are supposed to be based on the ones protecting the Ducal family, which really makes me even more scared about their security now."/_

Yumina raised her hand. "Um, to be fair, if the Zenovis weren't so insanely strong, they wouldn't get away with all their insane antics either."

 _/"So I would really like to know if it would be better to just leave them here or take them with us."/_

I groaned and dropped my head onto my waiting palms. "Twenty good men, Monika? What even am I supposed to do with twenty light cavalry guard? We're adventurers. Five people can go quickly and defeat opponents where twenty-five would just be a hindrance. We travel light and fast with minimal logistics overhead. What the heck am I supposed to do with twenty troops?!"

I sighed. "Are we supposed to be a mercenary company now?"

 _/"Well, in all honesty, isn't THAT the type of business you're actually most used to running?"/_ she replied with an impish smile.

Front Mission. Jagged Alliance. Metal Gear Solid. BattleTech. Battle Brothers. Armored Core. Kingmaker. Planet Mercenary. Oh damn it she's right.

"Unfortunately we lack the giant robots," was all the criticism I could give.

Elze raised her hand. "Question!"

"What is it?"

"Setting aside the problem with Miss Micah's defense," she made as if picking up a box and then putting it away. "If we have them around does this mean we can't take adventurer quests anymore? If we can… does this mean we have to split rewards to twenty-five?!"

 _/"… Yes. I'm sorry, but even if you sign them all up to be adventurers, they will all have to start at Black rank and then our team will be limited to beginner missions."/_

"If we just have them work to Rank Up, there is no guarantee on how quick that will be," Yae added. "We cannot guarantee their safety, and if they do not fight with us what is the point of having them at all? We lack a fief to make them necessary, we cannot support armed men, we cannot."

Then she looked up sharply "Unless…?"

"Still not accepting any titles of nobility," I answered. "If I have to sit down and administer land, we won't be free to roam around to other countries to pick apart their magics."

"Yet if this is what Monika-sama asked as your reward… surely she has a plan?"

 _/"Commander Char is incomplete without men to command,"/_ said Monika. _/"There are consequences, Player. As long as you wear that mask, you must bear the weight of his soul."/_

I leaned back on my chair and sighed. "Well… I suppose we could use a few more waiters or horse delivery…"

Monika sniffed, unamused. _/"Come on, Player. I can tell you're just pretending."/_

I put my hand behind my head and exhaled roughly. This was not a people problem. It was not even a logistics problem. Monika was right, there was potential there. It was largely a legitimacy problem.

Nobles who were ready to harass some random adventurers would be less likely to pull shenanigans on a clearly organized battlegroup. The main problem would be a reliable source of funding, but bandit clearing operations were always an option. Large scale and much more profitable subjugations would open up, long-distance missions and garrison quests instead of just wagon escorts, and of course there was outright war.

… dang it Monika, I know you did this before we accidentally incited war between Belfast and Regulus. How convenient now.

… and I just remembered the Wolf's Dragoons(1) have an easter egg Zera Battalion with Char Aznable in there.

Wealth was always open to those who were willing to kill other human beings. Adventurers were those who specialized against monsters.

"Monika, you did this backwards," I could only say. "You should have asked for a *ship* first, and then men to populate it. We need the mobile home base first before anything."

She smiled mysteriously. _/"Oh don't worry. You shall have your Musai, my dear."/_

The other girls could only just stare at us, somewhat creeped out by our mutual grins. I could see her eyes were pinprick Yandere eyes. I could see myself mirrored in them.

Ahahaha...

Hm.

If the protection detail were being spectacularly useless, the solution should be to make them NOT so useless. They certainly should be used to military discipline and rigor. Right?

-.

-.

* * *

AN:  
sarna net /wiki/Wolf_Dragoons


	42. Dogs of War

**Dogs of War**

* * *

-.

-.

"Imma channel Mr. Popo(1)."

 _/"Do NOT channel Mister Popo."/_

"R. Lee Ermey?"

Monika linked her fingers together under her chin and said with a heavy sigh _/"Player… just be yourself."/_

"But I don't how Char trained his troops to be so motivated for him."

Monika unlinked her palms and began to make chopping knife hand gestures. _/"… You. Dense. Protagonist!"/_

-.

-.

In a clearing outside of Reflet, the twenty men assigned by the Duke Ortlinde stood at attention. I stood on a literal soapbox – that is, a crate that was used to transport soap, with my hands behind my back. "Men of Ortlinde! You have been hiding from me!" I shouted, "What is even up with the Duke of Ortlinde's head, this is not the way to assign groups of men to command!"

Some of them bristled at the insult to their liege lord, others huffed in agreement.

"But that ends today!" I continued. "Although they were retainers to House Zenovi, they were adventurers nonetheless. It is inexcusable that they were able to rip through you with such ease. It is clear that something is lacking… some way of dealing with unconventional situations, unconventional opponents!"

"So let us get this started. Know that I am Zah Playa Von Chara. I am an Adventurer. I will not teach you to beat adventurers or to better fight the things that adventurers fight. The Duke Ortlinde has given you over to me to do everything that I might wish to accomplish. To mold into whatever fighting force I know you can be.

"If I want you to fight, then you will fight. If I want to you disguise yourselves and gather intelligence, then you will learn to do swiftly and effectively. If need you to act as salesmen, then you will sell things! If we need to do objective raids, you will steal everything that isn't nailed down and everything that can be pried loose isn't nailed down!

"The Duke has given me soldiers. Men who know how to fight. I will make you Free Dragoons, men who can fit in anywhere and fight anything.

"And acting as bodyguards, well certainly there is room for improvement!" I spoke up harshly, reminding them of what happened yesterday. And what happened a month ago that led them to this place here. "You recall what it took to survive protecting Sue from those who would have kidnapped her, took liberties with her young body, while forcing her father and his brother the King to disassemble their own kingdom!"

Maldon grimaced at the reminder. The men around him looked ashamed. They had not been very enthusiastic about this posting, but this was rubbing in their own faces their own lack of luster.

"Men of Ortlinde! You have failed! You have been ignorant. You have been weak. You have been only passable as men at arms, left unprepared by the loving warmth of these peaceful days. No more. No more.

"I WILL MAKE YOU UNTO DOGS OF WAR."

I gestured to the side and Yumina approached. Already she was garbed in a cute purple and white ensemble similar to what Elze and Linze were wearing. Zanac worked fast. "This is my adjutant, Yumina," I introduced her to the men. She curtsied, holding on to her nice sensible skorts. "Whatever resemblance she has to the Crown Princess Yumina is only coincidental, understand? Purely accidental."

A murmur passed through the men. Things were starting to make a little more sense.

"Elze and Linze Silhoueska, though they are young they are well-accomplished as adventurers. They could probably beat all of you right now with as much ease as those adventurers yesterday. But there will be greater power in moving in combination, which you will learn under their command."

"Yae Kokonoe. She is the daughter of Jubei Kokonoe, former sword teacher for the Sordrick family. Unlike Belfast which has been in relative peace internally, apart from the Regulus invasion, Eashen has been engaged in low-level fighting and raiding for most of the past hundred years. At the time Regulus was invading Belfast, Eashen was experiencing unification of the country under a great warlord.

"Her familiarity with small-unit tactics and formations will be of great value. Furthermore, she can instruct you on how to break past human limits with your own spirit, not magic."

There was a sound like breaking glass, and Monika appeared floating in the air beside me. Their eyes widened. "And this is the Lady Monika. She will be your eyes and your ears. She will be your life and your death. Only when properly directed can any group of men become a blade, condensing the complex into the simple, cutting through all opposition!

"I do not want to hear any grumbling about anyone's age or seeming lack of military experience. Go home to the Ortlinde lands if you can't adapt to strange orders!"

There was only silence. They understood that obedience to orders was the first and only virtue. I grimaced a bit. There was no such thing as the Nuremberg Principles here, soldiers were always expected to obey even the most unethical of orders.

"All right. Now, Maldon."

He stepped up out of formation. "My lord!"

"The ranks go thus: Myself and Lady Monika as overall Commanders, then Yumina as the adjutant that relays our orders. Then Yae. Then Elze. Then Linze. Then you.

"Divide the men into four groups of five men. All of you are light cavalry, but you will be expected to be mounted infanty for now.

"The first group will be the Archer Squad, under command of Yumina here.

"The second group will be the Mage Squad, there to protect Linze and serve as our reserve line.

"The next two groups should be a mix of sword and shield and spearmen. They will be the First and Second Assault Squads, to be commanded by Elze and Yae in breakthrough attacks.

"Four men with one group leader. Assign the men according to their abilities and temperament. You will take command of First Assault Squad." Since Elze would likely be too busy punching out breakthroughs to remember being in command, someone has to be able to exploit the gaps she would be making.

He slammed his fist onto his chestplate and bowed. "It will be done, my lord!"

-.

-.

"And now that we are all organized… it is time to know the limits of our capacity. Each squad… will have to fight their own adventurer leader. Elze, Linze, Yae, … Yumina, I want to see how you defend yourself against group attack."

"Eeeh? Even me, Sir Zah?"

Archer Squad looked very unwilling to attack their Princess.

"[Earth], [Wind], [Dark], what lessons have Charlotte been teaching you? Linze over there has even faced Charlotte in battle. If you're an Archer, how do you deal with counterfire? If you're in this adventuring party, then I do expect you do be able to meaningfully contribute, you know?"

"… you're right. I should be able to do something than just sit there and look pretty." She looked quite happy.

-.

-.

"[BOOST] PAAWWWWNCH!" Elze yelled.

Wham.

Men scattered all around.

Wham. Wham. Wham.

Yeah, she had no problem with them. This was actually somewhat cruel.

-.

-.

"[Dancing Flames!]"

Boom. Boom. Boom.

All right, Linze has no problem with that either. Duchess Ellen was different from Charlotte. Whereas the Court Magician had a more strategic role on the battlefield, the Duchess had refined her Fire magic to specifically deal with human enemies. Charlotte was made to wreak havoc on the battlefield and create strategic spell forms, Duchess Ellen was made for close-in slaughter in the defense of her home and family.

I spoke aside to Maldon "What do you think? Should we give Mage Squad larger tower shields, or heavy armor and two-handed swords?"

"The second, I believe," he replied, breathing heavily. Elze's total rout of First Assault Squad left them bruised and with dented armor. The first we could heal up, the second would need some time to hammer out the dents. "The threat is a stronger reason to not to try to attack the back line in the first place."

"Monika, why didn't you ask for more magic-users so we could make Mage Squad an actual Mage Squad?"

 _/"I have seen the future and too many of them would develop staggering inferiority complexes. This is bad for unit cohesion. Actual Mage Squad composed of you, Linze and Yumina, and maybe later Sue, would be enough to deal with almost anything that exists."/_

Fair enough.

-.

-.

Slice. Slice. Slice.

Spear shafts were cut. Straps securing arm and leg armor were cut. Yae could have sliced deep into their vulnerable less armored areas with ease.

The guards fell back, nodding with acknowledgment. They recognized and respected an accomplished swordswoman. Yae was used to commanding troops and had an instinctive read for the flow of battle. Second Assault Squad would not have any problem with fulfilling orders.

-.

-.

And then there was Archer Squad.

-.

-.

There's basically two ways of doing this. The first, out in the open with exchanging regular volleys. Which would be stupid, since they were not horse archers. And that was why Yumina immediately dashed to the tree cover to make it an ambush battle.

"This might be a mistake," said Maldon. "Archery around trees is much like hunting, but they're wearing armor while she's not."

"That means she can move faster."

Monika displayed for us the tactical map showing the red dots chasing a white dot. _/"But you can tell Yumina isn't used to moving through the undergrowth either."/_

The five chasing Ortlinde guards spread out into pair with one remaining in the middle to surround and cut off her routes of escape. One of them rushed forward excitedly, having seen a glimpse of purple and white.

"[Earth Wall!]

He slammed into a rock slab that appeared out of nowhere and knocked himself out.

 _/"Clever. Just because this is Archer Squad, they forgot she was a magic caster too."/_ Now suddenly the remaining guards slowed down and were much more careful in their chase.

We heard one of them shout "There!" A flash of purple to the left. They turned towards it.

An arrow came from the right. Ding.

"HOW?!"

Their arrows were blunt, but that shot bounced off the neck so that counted as lethal. Monika announced that said soldier was considered dead and should retreat. Now it was three versus one.

They began shooting at any movement. "That… is a mistake," I had to say. "Arrows are a finite quantity. She's a [Wind] mage."

"But magic power is also a thing that can be exhausted," said Maldon.

We could see where Yumina was hiding. The men were getting too close. Her movements began to slow. Yumina was obviously starting to get tired or at least nervous about her plan. I wondered if she was getting grim tidings of the future if ever her family was conspired against again. If Belfast falls…

It was technically okay to fail here, but she could never allow herself to just surrender.

… A lot of bad things could happen to a captured Crown Princess.

"If she wants to cast magic on us, she has to see us," one of the men said. "Spread out a little more, but not too far. The moment someone gets hit, call it out."

I nodded. "This is exactly why snipers are sent out in pairs, with a spotter."

Black mist suddenly wrapped around a man's head, and he fell limp and unconscious instantly.

"There!" The chase was back on.

 _/"Yumina really needs a large area-of-effect spell, like Linze's bombardment options."/_

"You know, it just occurred to me that with [Fire], [Water], [Light] and [Earth], [Wind], [Dark], isn't Yumina kinda the direct opposite of Linze?"

 _/"Even on a social level. Interesting. Instead of giving her Archer Squad, why not just have them operate back to back? Onemage is vulnerable, but doublemage is force multiplied."/_

"On our solo missions, sure."

The white dot showing Yumina stopped. From the sound, she was out of breath. The men found her kneeling on the ground, apparently exhausted with her back turned to them.

"Surrender, Princess. This doesn't need to be difficult."

I winced. That was exactly the wrong thing to say. We could hear Monika's soft little giggle.

"No. No it does not. [Pit Fall]."

But instead of the two guards falling down into a sinkhole, Yumina cast it under herself. They only had a moment to wonder why she was trapping herself.

Because as they stepped forward, she raised a hand out of the hole and finished chanting "Come [Wind], [Storm], Cut Off – Countless Wind Blades, [Tempest Edge!]"

Everything above ground level was just shredded. Fortunately she knew enough to lower magic power consumption so it would not be a deadly attack. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

I chewed on my thumb. "Ugh. Turtling up is such an Earthbending thing to do, but that thing with the wind blades… Earthbending and Airbending are such complete philosophical opposites I don't know how to teach her at all." At least with Linze, fire and water might seem to be opposites but at least they both used fluid mechanics.(1)

 _/"Unlike you who zips around just flipping over things, looks like little Yumina relies much more on proper timing. You must admit that sometimes air held down under pressure has its uses as compared to just pure free wind. There's potential here."/_

Yumina exited the treeline gasping for breath. It was only when she was greeted by clapping from Elze and Linze, and a thumbs-up from me, that she beamed happily. It was a victory she could accept, bought entirely with only her own power.

Not her father's influence. Not her delicate beauty. Not even her youth.

She just looked so happy. Headpats?

Yes. This pleases us.

-.

-.

"All right. So the purpose of this was not to humiliate you, but to show how even among adventurers we are… unconventional. You are in unconventional company, you will be fighting unconventional battles, and there is so much of what you take for granted that you will need to unlearn.

"We will have to do training on the move while we're heading to Mismede for our mission."

"WAIT, HOLD UP!"

Of course that was Elze. What did she want now?

"Hey!" Elze shouted with a fierce grin. "There's still someone here that hasn't shown his chops!"

I blinked. "Wait. Do you mean…?" I pointed at my own nose.

"Isn't anyone curious as to what would happen if all of us attacked you all at once?"

"… You would lose because there's so many of you that you'd get in each other's way and then I'd fly up and bomb you all to oblivion what did you think would happen?" I sniffed haughtily.

I didn't need to prove anything. There would always be arguments over which is the better fighter like between all those Flankers and Eagles and Ducks and Jays, but a nuclear bomber only needs to survive long enough to get overhead.

"Yae, to me! Linze, Yumina, fire at will! SMASHING TIME IS NOW."

 _/"Ooh. Nice commandy tone from Elze. I LIKE IT. Player, I'll be on the girls' team for this one."/_

Aw shite.

 _/"Try not to bore me, my love."/_

I leapt back, the jet boost from my boots allowing me to leap halfway across the clearing. I slammed my fists together and then pulled them apart slowly. A violently writhing arch of lightning stretched out between them like the pair of electrodes of mad scientist's Jacob's Ladder.

A loud buzzing noise rang across the clearing.

"All right," I said with a grin. "You want a piece of this? I'll give you a lot of this!" I thrust my pelvis forward as I pulled my arms out wide. Hah! Haaah! The single arc of lightning twisted into two, and then down to the ground. They carved rich dark furrows onto the grass, slowly tracing an expanding spiral.

 _/"Do you fancy yourself Thor, God of Thunder?!"/_

"Nay, I am RAIDEN! And this is MOOOORTAL KOOOMBAT!(2)"

-.

-.

"Okay, if anyone asks there was a freak thunderstorm. And a tornado. And, uh, a blizzard. And a forest fire."

"… also there was this crazed monster bear…" Linze added.

"Hey!" Elze objected to that.

The guards were just sitting down by the edge of the clearing. They looked a little glassy-eyed. Everything above them was on fire.

-.

-.

And then days passed. It was time.

Zorah and her retinue met us on a prepared clearing a little ways around town across the river. Zanac looked deeply uncomfortable sitting on a table nearby as a witness. Zorah sat beside him, fanning herself with a steel fan. All four of her adventurer guards stood behind her in a line.

She looked completely villainous, Zanac looked just uncomfortable.

Her doll-like face still hid any and all distinguishing features. I wondered if it meant she had a battle injury or she was just that vain about not looking old. What madness drives her so far that she'd be willing to go against the favor of Ducal House Ortlinde?

 _/"Player…"/_ Monika whispered. _/"Remember. If you ever find someone sufficiently annoying… I will always accept you no matter what you do."/_

Ooooh. Monika this is not a good time to remind me that we can untraceably murder people, you know? I knew Monika would not feel guilty at all for killing anyone outside of her monkeysphere. She who had everything taken away from her, who in her own yandere madness desecrated and murdered her friends, would stop at nothing to protect her new precious people.

I have been dealing with petty assholes all my life. Teachers, managers, customers. I was even one of those people, oh lord was I such a spoiled brat. People who act on whims are free, those who hold grudges have their souls weighed down by gravity.

Zorah made Micah cry, and just for that I felt like knowing if she was doing all this because she was really that so obsessed with (heh) face or just much much more fragile than she pretends. To know if I could hold her psyche in my hands and feel how easy it would be to just... shatter it.

I could go full xianxia escalation over this, but I would regret it later if it turned out I was bullying someone who was literally mentally ill.

I remembered that I had the support of the Royal Family, having Yumina with me was a show of extreme trust. But even Royal favor can only go so far. The kingdom is a heavy and ponderous thing, there are things that must be done with secrecy, there are things that must be done that cannot impact the dignity of the Crown.

Duty was heavier than a mountain. There were very few noble houses that embraced nascent nationalism enough to see duty as a privilege instead. Yumina's advice was right. The House of Zenovivi could be quite useful. As long as one was able to deal with their… eccentricities.

"Is this really necessary?" Zanac whimpered.

"Yes. He and I cannot live as equals under the same sky," said Zorah. "I commend your bravery, as foolish at it may be!" she said while pointing to me. "Name your terms and let this duel commence!"

Mine was the evilest of grins.

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) youtube watch?v=53EZ2fErFHY

Yes, DBZ Abridged's Mister Popo.

(2) wikipedia /wiki/Fluid_mechanics

(3) youtube /watch?v=EAwWPadFsOA


	43. Tell Me What You Want

**I'll Tell You What I Want**

* * *

-.

-.

Possibilities boiled through my mind. Everything from unbalanced trade agreements to shibari games.

I had to discard all of them.

I swept my cape back before pointing at her with two fingers. "Terms are irrelevant! I will fight you because I want to fight you, nothing else. I will crush you because it pleases me, no more is needed."

Zorah blinked. "That…. is possibly a mistake." She crossed her arms and sniffed "But you may be worthy yet."

 _/"Really, Player? You have the chance to ask for ANYTHING when you win."/_

I smiled thinly. Let's not win the battle but lose the war. There's much much more I could take from her than just the results of one little bet.

It would be very stupid to empty your hand if you're playing a card game. But an empty hand is exactly what you need to reach across the table and grab new things.

"Are you disappointed?" I grinned and spread my arms wide. "May I remind you that it was you who offered what you thought was a sexual deviant WHATEVER HE WANTED?"

Monica sucked in her breath. Everyone's heads turned towards Zorah, who let out a little 'gleep!' of realization. Even Yumina looked disturbed.

"Blank checks are the worst checks. Each time we make a choice we close off an ocean of possibilities, but not making a choice is itself a choice," I said evenly. "I choose not to give into all the temptations that occur to me every single day."

For I had realized that I had a Princess beside me, and I would probably use up that favor making Zorah wear a Mario Hat and a fake bushy mustache and have her chase me like I was Bowser; Yumina slung over my shoulder just confused as much as she was excited about how strange her life had suddenly become. If it weren't for the imminent war and how we had to go on missions, there was much we could do to troll snooty nobles.

Wealth? Political advantage? Pfeh. I would use up personal favors only for stupid things. Everything else I would acquire through my own power or fair and equivalent exchange. I may be an adventurer, but I'm no murderhobo.

"But... Mister Zah... if you do that, then isn't it just like letting her get away with things?!" Linze whispered. She glared cutely out towards Zorah.

"Ahahaha no of course not."

Maybe we could try humiliating a haughty noble lady by making her serve me for a week as a maido, bet against ME wearing that same maid outfit to serve her. Char fears not. A truly shameless confident man will look good in anything.

Or just have her wear a black leather collar out in public – no other change in her daily life, except that one change in her fashion. Even when she's talking with other nobles, even when among family, in whatever formal dress – they would wonder, has Lady Zorah been… claimed? And she dares to display that proof like some sort of slattern?

Ah, such shame! Such delicious shame. Her indignant face behind that makeup, only her eyes able to show the truth of her rage and disgrace. Worse, because I had no intention whatsoever of following through so her reputation would be ruined for NOTHING.

If she didn't have the honor or the guts to live up to the bet, then it would be hilarious taunting her forever about it as well. There's plenty of witnesses, and then Yumina reveals that she is one of them. Trying to silence the Crown Princess will not go so well for anyone.

Such a shame…

"It's probably for the best that I do not indulge in such things. Hurting Zorah would hurt Zanac, and I would always do good by my friends."

I grinned and approached the table. With a gesture and a quick chant, I created some short Earth Pillars as extra seats. Yumina followed behind me while the rest of the girls stayed back to eye their opposition.

Then raising my chin, I said to the noblewoman "But win or lose I demand something from you total fruit loops of a lady. You will apologize to my friend, Micah the Inkeeper of Silver Moon Inn. And Maldon, formerly of Ortlinde Ducal Guards. Causing them so much distress does you no honor!"

"You don't get to demand things, you despicable man!" Lydia shouted from behind Zorah. "My lady is no spinny food product, how dare you!"

Zorah scowled and made a 'Tch' noise.

After a few moments, she nodded. "… Fine. I will apologize to the civilian. Commoners rarely see how much it is to their benefit how our rule is there to make them better. Fitter. More productive. Their lives are lived in fear and mediocrity, but it is because they are weak that we nobles exist to protect them.

"But a Ducal Guard needs to live up to higher standards!"

Mmm. Eh, I'll take what I can get. Maldon's psychological scars would do just fine as long as he wasn't exposed to any more creepy doll faces.

If she had refused, I would have no guilt whatsoever and we're back to Plan B instead of the much more educational Plan A. "Well Bargained and Done. Let us fight."

Zanac waved his arms about like some sort of adorable red panda. "Friends! Please reconsider!"

"No can do, Zanac ol' buddy."

"Yes, dear Zanac. There can be only one."

"There can be only one WHAT?!" he wailed.

-.

-.

I reached into my satchel and slammed down a bottle of wine onto the table.

"What do you think this is, a picnic?" Zorah sneered.

"We are all sinners here, let us soothe our consciences with drink," I replied as I sat down. "For all those we have trampled carelessly as we move through life, I offer a toast."

"Careful, mistress. It might be poison," said Lydia. "The King was poisoned with wine just recently."

I tilted my head to the side. "Are you people still so ignorant about what… or who… happened after that?"

"What do you mean 'you people!" Lydia objected instead.

Zorah snorted. "What do you think we are, poor? Keep your cheap vintage. Sarah, attend to me!"

The youngest adventurer reached into the backpack carried by Milah, the largest adventurer, and brought out a bottle of wine and a silver cup. "H-here, milady!" She then took a bucket, cast some water onto it, froze and broke open the top layer, and then dipped the wine bottle into it.

I smirked and stroked my wine bottle from lip down to the bottom like I was caressing down a nubile girl's side. Frost trailed behind my fingers.

"Fool," Zorah sniffed. "You will destroy the rich body of the wine if you freeze too quickly."

"You're thinking I'm using [Water]. But air has temperature, and I am the master of [Wind] magic."

I took out two glass goblets and placed them on the table. And then a third for Zanac.

Zorah slammed down a second silver cup. "No."

I moved the glass goblet left. Zorah moved her silver cup to block it. Swipe to the right. Block. Swipe to left. Block. And on the far end, like the goal on a football field, Zanac stared in helpless confusion.

By this time Zorah and I were leaning across the table snarling into each other's faces.

"I will stab you with this glass. It will hurt more."

"Silver is denser, you fool. I will break your face."

"Sir Zah, please…" Yumina whispered. "Please control yourself. We have a different reason for accepting this duel, remember?"

"Zorah, that's enough. Please calm down." Zanac put a hand on his shoulder and instantly she calmed down. I could tell just how much she wanted to lean into his touch but did not dare to express any womanly weakness in public.

I remembered that Monika said before – the solution to this was hugs. Maybe the cause of this was hugs. Zanac was the person who held and comforted her at her weakest and darkest days. The only person who could ever make her feel safe – his safety could never be compromised upon!

"What *is* your damage anyway?" I had to ask. "I have a feeling that just apologizing for the offense when we first met won't solve the problem. What do you have against me being around Zanac anyway?"

Zorah flicked her fan open and hid the lower half of your face. "It may have been just that when we started, but there are now stronger reasons to doubt. We have been watching you suspicious people for some time now.

"Zah Playa, age unknown. Country of birth, unknown. Appeared in Reflet about two months ago. Picked up by the Duke and became a tutor. Yet still not satisfied with that and moves between the capital and Reflet with some form of loud [Transport] skill. It is too obvious. You *want* to be noticed. For what reason?

"Elze and Linze Silhoueska. Country of birth, Refreese. Appeared in Reflet at around the same time, but can be traced back as real citizens of the Refreese Imperium.

"Yae Kokonoe. Country of birth, Eashen. Entered Belfast via the Gau River. Verified familial relationship to Jubei Kokonoe, former sword teacher for the Sordrick family."

"All of these foreigners out of nowhere in little more than a few weeks suddenly deep inside our kingdom's most vulnerable places! It's too suspicious!"

Then she looked at Yumina. The Princess fidgeted. She still had her white opera mask on Yumina's heterochromic eyes were very noticeable, and hence why like mine her mask had reflective lenses. Zorah glared at me. "Then you picked up another one? What is she supposed to do?"

"I can… I can fight!" Yumina said, her tone growing stronger and indignant at the end.

"She's on her first week as a trainee. She will NOT fight."

"Sir Zah. You promised."

"Well no need to fight THESE jokers in particular."

"Well… *you* are suspicious also anyway," Zorah said mulishly. "Where are you from, child?"

Yumina nodded and curtsied a little bit. "Perfectly understandable, Lady Zorea. I am at least a native of Belfast. I was raised in Alephis."

Zorah bent her hips, returning the gesture. "Oh. You certainly know your etiquette, young lady." Since she was heir-apparent but not the Marchioness of Zenovivi, calling her by her family name Zorea instead of house name Zenovivi was the proper response. For example, Sue would be Lady Ernea while her mother would be Lady Ortlinde.

Incidentally, family names in this other world had feminine and masculine forms. Ernes and Ernea for the Royal family of Belfast, while Roa and Rea for the Royals of Regulus. They were the obvious exception to the rule since both the Duke and the King were both Ernes. There was also the formal address Your Grace, Your Highness, and Crown Princess anyway.

"What are you doing with these group of rough roustabouts?" Zorah's gaze flicked back up to me. "Now it has become even more urgent that your true self is exposed!"

"That's just unfair! You don't know Mister Zah at all!" Linze spat out. "You're trying to make him out to be a bad guy, but we don't need your protection and we never asked for it!"

"Um… we already know his true self. It is… more embarrassing than immoral," said Yumina.

"My dear, don't fall for it. Men like him are a dime a dozen. A man that grubs for money has no backbone, he will not know honor. They prey upon girls who long for excitement and mystery in their lives made safe and protected by the care of their parents and elder brothers!"

Are… are you projecting? I leaned back and jutted my chin out. "She is Mysterious Heroine Y. You will refer to her as Mystery Yellow. Hers is already an exciting existence!"

 _/"What, like Pokemon protagonist Yellow?"/_

At this point in time I no longer needed to wear a helmet or even the VR headset all the time. With careful use of micro [Boom Tubes], the screen could be projected to the inside of a thinner and more comfortable white mask much more similar to what Char Aznable would wear. The VR headset and Monika's frightfully vulnerable smartphone body, were now carried in a more protected armored casing around my belt in replacement for the fanny pack I used to wear.

This was the reason Zorah didn't ask {"Is she your little sister or something?"} about Yumina despite our similar masks, because now with most of my face exposed it was clear we looked nothing alike.

"Freedom Red," I pointed at myself with my thumb. Then to each behind me "Valiant Green. Faithful Blue. Justice Pink. (Also not appearing right now, Turing White.) Together we are the ISEKASENTAI, BAKARANGERS!"

The interest in Zorah's eyes dulled. While Yumina did not expressly need to be in disguise to fight in this party, as a mask-wearing person myself how could I deprive her of that joy?

I felt Elze's fingers dig a death grip onto my scalp. "I don't know why but I have a feeling you just said something really insulting just now."

-.

-.

And so we finally got around to introducing the combatants to each other.

-.

-.

-.

-.

"I am Mylah, adventurer, Red Rank. My ability is [Ramp]," spoke the huge woman. She looked like a bodybuilder, but not grotesquely over-muscled. Since she was so much taller than anyone, it was easy to see how my gaze went down from her face, to her impressive exposed abs, and then to curve of her hips.

The grip on my head tightened. "Playa, don't be a lecher."

"Wow you could grate cheese on those things," I murmured. Then in a calm no-nonsense voice, "Elze, you have abs too. Don't try to go too far with building muscle, I like yours as they are, perfectly in-between cushy and firm."

"S-stop ittt!" Elze began to shake my head around from side to side, like a joystick on a Street Fighter arcade game.

Ahahaha.

"How unsightly," another of Zorah's guards muttered.

"How disgusting, this man!"

"What a shamelessly crooked heart, I'm so envious!"

"…" Elze and I stopped and stared at them oddly.

Mylah laughed. "Girl, you've got fire. I like you, you look like you're a fist fighter too aren't you?"

"Y-yes! I am Elze Silhoueska! Adventurer, Green Rank. But I'm only a couple more missions away from being Blue rank! My ability is [Boost]!"

"By the way, I still find this whole etiquette of introducing yourself and your special abilities to your opponent before you fight is quite a silly way to give up your advantage…"

"Duels are different from open war, Mister Zah," Yumina explained. "It is most important that both combatants approach from as equal a state as possible. This preserves honor, and protects the peace. It is why armies can even stop fighting as their own generals duel it out, and whoever wins both sides don't waste the lives of their men."

"Oh so that's why Dynasty Warriors does that thing. Mooks gotta mook, I suppose."

"… I guess a dynastic warrior path is good other way to describe chivalry?" Yumina added.

So the first fight would be [ELZE versus MYNAH].

-.

-.

"I… I am Sara Lanyard! Adventurer, Red rank!" spoke up the mage-looking gal with the double-braided dirty blond hair. "My magic affinities are [Fire], [Water], and [Earth!]."

She looked like a farmgirl, she even had freckles. It's a pity her look was still lacking something. She would look really cute with those big round anime eyeglasses. She was short but b-b-boingg, if you know what I mean.

I felt Linze's hand on my shoulder. "Please allow me to test the limits of my capacity with this one, Mister Zah." Her voice came out strong and measure, Linze was no Shyface right now.

"All right."

"I am Linze Silhoueska, Adventurer, Green Rank. My affinities are [Fire], [Water], and [Light]."

Her opponent nodded in acknowledgment. Linze's hand didn't leave my shoulder. Why?

 _/"I think she's waiting for a little harmless flirting like what you did with Elze. Just, you know, to balance things."/_

I stealthily reached down and stroked with a finger down the side of her knee.

"Eek!" Linze shrieked and recoiled. She tugged at her skirt, blushing madly. Um wait, that makes it look much worse than what I actually did.

"Playa…" Elze hissed.

"Um. J-just win, Linze. And then we'll see what happens after that…?"

She nodded happily. "Um!"

Zorah pointed at me with her jaw hanging open in indignation almost like that dude from the Invasion of the Body Snatchers. (1)

So the next battle would be [LINZE vs SARAH].

-.

-.

The two swordswomen had been eyeing each other all this while.

"I am Cynthia Aurbell, Adventurer, Red Rank. Self-taught. I have affinity with [Water], but I do not use it. You there – Eashen girl! Let us fight."

"I am Kokonoe Yae, practitioner of the Kokonoe Ninefold Paths to the Imperial Court Sword Style. I accept. Please fight me with all your strength."

[YAE vs CYNTHIA.]

-.

-.

Which obviously leaves…

"But I want to beat his face in…!" Zorah whined. "I want to. I want to. I want to!"

"You might accidentally kill him, and that would displease both the Duke and the King. Please just leave it to me, milady," said Lydia.

"Tch. Don't make it easy for him."

I tilted my head to the side and grinned smarmily. "So, would you say you are sworn to carry her burdens?"

"I am Lydia Colwinde, former Adventurer, Rank Red. Now I am a sworn guard of the Zenovivi Family. My affinity is [Wind] and [Dark]. My personal magic is [Quivering Tone]."

I winced. "Oh boy. Could we just… not?"

"Are you scared, boy?"

"Look, when I say I am the MASTER of WIND MAGIC, I am not kidding. Let's sword-fight and just leave Wind Magic out of it, okay?"

"I refuse. You are bluffing. I am also quite well-versed in Wind magic, face me like a man and not a bag of hot air!"

"Ugggh." I began rubbing the bridge of my nose to relieve my sudden headache. Then I quickly looked up and to the side. "Mysterious Heroine Y! You get your wish! Fight her if you want!"

"Yay?" Yumina didn't know how to feel about that.

"Coward!"

"I would really rather just fight Zorah, you know? Wind batters itself against the mountain to no avail. Fighting against someone who is my complete opposite would at least be interesting."

"W-well…!" Zorah spoke up while turning away. "T-that's something you wanted from me after all. But you're not going to have it that easily. You are not my equal, earn the right to face me!"

I licked my lips. "Operation Piss You Off Mightily Mark Two the Presequel is a go, then?" I swiftly looked to the left. "ZANAC! I have ideas. Let me talk at you!"

Zanac's tired eyes opened wide. "W-what?"

"Is the reason why she dolls up like a Cakeface because she blushes really really easily? She's younger than you, right? While she was still a child, did she ever say /'When I get older I'm gonna marry you/'?"

"ALL RIGHT THEN KILLING TIME IS N-…!" Zorah put her hands on the table to flip it over angrily, but Lydia managed to dive in front.

"No!" she screamed. "Do not let him win, milady!"

"Sir Zah. Please stop." Yumina frowned cutely at me. "This is… unbecoming of you. Both of you."

Zorah and I clacked our teeth at each other, then huffed back to our seats.

[PLAYA vs LYDIA?]

-.

-.

We had been adventurers for about a month and a half. In that time we had gone from Black to Green, an astonishingly rapid but not exactly unprecedented rise in the ranks. Most of that came from how the girls didn't need to walk so much just getting to the mission site due to our [Boom Tube] teleport skill. Having a healer allowed for taking missions one after the other.

But we had mainly been fighting monsters.

The Adventurer ranks go thus.

Black - Purple - Green - Blue - Red - Silver - Gold.

Blue rank was the highest most people could ever achieve. Dolan, Micah's father, and Barral of the Eight Bears weapon shop were massive men who had journeyed and fought all across the continent. They were true veterans. The were Blue Rank adventurers before they retired. Red were elite fighters.

Elze, Linze, and Yae, and even me – we are all physically about sixteen to twenty Earth years. Yae's actually the oldest. Would a month of fighting be enough to overcome up to ten years difference in experience?

This was no game world. There were no level-ups, you did not gain experience points by fighting stronger enemies. It was all just acquired intuition, muscle memory, the ability to push past pain and fatigue, the raw strength of trained muscles. Magic where applicable, spirit power to improve attack power for others. Power in its purest form - flesh made steel by force of will!

What arrogance! How could we dare to think we had a shot of winning? These people had earned their power, their place in the world, through pain and time and honest effort. I could see in their eyes, they thought we were a bunch of ignorant children.

But in the eyes of Elze, there was only the honest glee for combat.

In Linze, a slow-burning determination.

In Yae, as always the perfect equanimity that fears no death.

In Yumina, uncertainty and fear – but it was an understandable why. Yet she feared no failure either.

Monika stared back at me. In her green eyes I saw only the protectiveness of a mother lion.

The answer was simple.

Because we dared at all was the reason we were strong.

If you do not leave your comfort zones, you cannot go beyond yourself. The greatest and most terrible opponent anyone will ever face will always be the one staring back from the mirror.

To go from Black Rank to Green rank in a month, was that enough time to match with a veteran Red rank? These were pure girls, Monika loved them for that. We had to prove we were more than the product of our sins. We would protect them.

...

But war was on the horizon. Should I feel guilty about instigating it? No, after talking it over with the King and the Duke, it was inevitable at some point. Either an external war of defense or an internal civil war. Remember, it took two massive World Wars and megadeaths to knock Europe out of its view of wars being glorious undertakings. (2)

Twenty years of peace was the aberration.

The best way to protect the ones we care about is to give them the strength to keep themselves safe. I just hoped that one month... was enough time to create a miracle.

In this other world with my smartphone.

-.

-.

ELZE vs MYNAH. ROUND ONE of ONE.

FIGHT!

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) youtube /watch?v=GEStsLJZhzo

(2) preceden com/timelines/71548-european-wars

-.

Also, bonus deleted scene:

"… if… if say you did though, what would you ask?"

We all turned to Linze, who blushed madly and fidgeted in place. "Eeeh?!" Elze shrieked, and recoiled away from her twin sister.

"Elze no kinkshaming," I said hurriedly. And after a pause, "But still… wow. You're curious about that, huh?"

Linze eeped and looked suspiciously at her sister. Elze put her hands up to hide her face. "P-pretend I didn't say anything!"

"Yes that's right sometimes you really just have to ignore strange things that come out of people's mouths!" Zorah spoke up hurriedly in support.

"Yes, that's right! Tragic sexytimes sadly never happen."

"No one can possibly be that dense but sadly there you go."

What even are you people really? I turned away from the opposite group and back towards the girls.

"Maido."

"Eh?"

"Look at that pompous noblewoman and imagine her in a maid outfit. Serving me for at least two weeks. Living under my roof. Obeying my every whim, realizing the imbalance of power inherent between two social classes that I fearlessly ignore."

Elze blinked. "That's… that's a kinda ordinary fantasy," she said slowly. "Playa, I should say that I shouldn't expect /worse/ from you, but that's kinda unexpected too."

"And then IF we lose I would also serve her in the same manner for two weeks WEARING THAT SAME MAID COSTUME," I added. "A truly s̶̷h̶̷a̶̷m̶̷e̶̷l̶̷e̶̷s̶̷s̶̷ confident man isn't afraid to wear a skirt, he'll look good in anything."

Elze winced even as Linze went 'hawawawa'. "Yeeeah. That's more what I expected."

I turned towards Zorah and my lips went into :3 shape. "Enough motivation for you?"

"W-what are you even saying, you reprobate?!"

"Or… how about this?"

I reached into my pack and brought out… a black leather collar.

"Eeek! You- you pervert!" Elze leapt back and made defensive warding knife hand gestures. "Wa-what are you playing at? What are you going to make her do with that thing?"

Linze stared intently at the collar even as she was blushing so red she was almost ready to pass out.

"Do-… do you intend on having her walk around with that thing on her neck and NOTHING ELSE?"

I turned back briefly and said "… Elze, you are probably a lot more perverted than me, what the heck."

"… Noooo!" Elze fell down on knees in despair. "I'm not that kind of giiirl!"

"My gods it's like looking at a mirror," said someone from over at Zorah's side.

I nodded towards Zorah and said "I would have you wear this collar out in public – no other change in your daily life, other than this one change in fashion. You are not allowed to just hide away, for one month even when you're talking with other nobles, even when among family, in whatever formal dress… let them wonder."

"Oh no! People would think that finally Lady Zorah has been claimed. Is this a miracle?" Zorah's own adventurers spoke up again.

"And she dares to display that proof like some sort of slattern woman?!"

"Oh such shame! Such delicious shame!"

"Worse, because if he had no intention whatsoever of following through so her reputation would be ruined for NOTHING."

"If she doesn't have the honor or the guts to live up to the bet, then it would be hilarious to taunt her about it forever. Foreverrr!"

Ahahaha.

Wait wha-

A sound very much like Evangelion Unit 01's roar came out of Zorah's throat. The air crackled red from a change in [Density] redshifting light itself. Her AT-field manifested and she screamed.

She had gone berserk.

Zorah soon destroyed everything.

And that was why this is non canon.

-.

-.


	44. FISTPUNCHGIRL vs HEAPBIGWOMAN

**FISTPUNCHGIRL vs HEAPBIGWOMAN**

* * *

-.

-.

"Only two things come out of Refreese, you know?" Mynah said to Elze as they approached the center of the ring. A perfect circle abount twenty meters wide was burned into the grass of the little forest clearing. Ring-outs were a perfectly valid way of ending the fight but compared to a magic duel melee fighters had plenty of room to roam. "Fish… and bandits."

"What are you trying to say?" Elze asked with narrowed eyes.

That was… technically true. Fish was Refreese's primary export. But as an economically depressed country, many people would rather cross the border and find work in Belfast. Adventurers were dependent upon the Guild providing them listings and it was on a first-come-first-served basis.

Bandits, however, could pick their own targets. The walls surrounding settlements were as much to keep out monsters as they were to protect against other humans.

"I'm saying there's nothing wrong with being fish. It's good to be all young and healthy and flopping around with fresh eyes," Mynah replied. The tall well-muscled woman put a hand to her chin and nodded approvingly. "You have good eyes."

Elze just looked so confused.

Mynah raised her other hand and began cracking her knuckles. The pops seemed to echo through the clearing. "You're not even afraid, are you? Your eyes don't show the arrogance of some young fish who thinks they're the best, but you don't care at all that you're going to hurt and lose. Just living means to endure pain. I respect that. So fresh. So fresh."

"Okay, that's just offensive. I'm from Refreese, that's true. But we're from near the border. That means INLAND. Our family raised *goats* and *chickens*. I have no idea what the heck you're talking about."

("Dammit Elze, you should have told me that earlier! Mah Vertical Integration-!") (1)

Elze turned her head to the side and spat "SHUT UP ABOUT THAT, PLAYA!"

Mynah laughed. "So are you ready to see just how strong you are?" She spread her beefy arms out wide. The tips of her fingers wiggled ominously. "Ready to try and climb the mountain?"

-.

 _("This is an unfair fight. And I don't mean the difference between Green Rank and Red Rank. But before one can take advantage of strength, one must have reach. Dayum someone has reach in spades.")_

 _("That is why you should have asked for something in the unlikely chance that your women win, fool! But now that chance is gone. You lose and lose, you loser!")_

 _("She's almost like if Michael Jordan was born as a woma– hmm, what was that? You were saying something?")_

 _("Nghh.")_

-.

Zanac's shrill voice shouted out, accompanied by a small bell "BEGIN!"

"[Boost!]" Elze stamped her left foot into the ground and shot forward, leaving a small crater behind her. But at the halfway point rather than striking with her punch she shifted into a low driving kick toward her opponent's knee.

"Hah!" Just before Elze's foot could reach, Mynah pivoted on her left heel and counter-kicked with her right leg at Elze's body.

"Kuh!" Elze was just barely able to shield herself with her arms as the other adventurer's powerful kick flung her away in the instant just before her own [Boosted] kick could shatter the other person's kneecaps.

She tumbled about in the air to shift her legs down again, making contact with the ground. Her fingers scratched a furrow into the ground as she desperately tried to bleed off momentum. Still she slid off for quite some distance, almost reaching the edge for a ring-out.

A simple but powerful kick. Instead of avoiding, counter-attack immediately! She looked up, now much more wary.

Mynah grinned. "That's a good look on your face. Destroy the enemy's footing, that's just good sense. But since I'm so much bigger than everyone else, of course everybody attacks my legs first of all!"

Elze grit her teeth. Such was the problem of reach. And because she was inside a formal dueling circle, she couldn't just rip trees off the ground and then get the advantage of range for herself.

Unless…

Her hands drifted towards her pouch… and then stopped. Throwing things would be cheating. If she was going to do that, then there's no point in being a front-liner. Power to crush anything before her. The strength to protect everyone she cared about! Being a stubborn girl that yields to nothing and no one! As one of twin girls, she thought that everything gentle and smart went into Linze and so Elze resolved that rather than be compared as the stupider less attractive sibling she might as well embrace that and be the rude crude woman that defend her sister's happiness.

She didn't have the twisty mind of Playa, or Yae's refined technique. All she could do was to rush out and break everything in front of her.

Elze raised her fists up in a boxer stance and stomped forward with quick mincing steps. Mynah grinned again, because Elze didn't realize just how much like a silly little duck she looked like that.

"[Boost.]"

Mynah's right eyebrow quirked up, as her glance went down from Elze's powerfully pumping feet to her ready fists, only gently bobbing up and down in tiny circles even as the smaller girl suddenly picked up speed. Elze lunged to the side and aimed a punch towards Mynah's hips.

Mynah swung down with her left arm, a simple but potent motion. Elze's left foot drove into the ground, and her left hand punched up. There was a small shockwave and a deep ringing noise as her fist made contact with the large adventurer's own metal bracers. Though her fist looked tiny compared to that arm, it was the arm that bounced up.

Her left fist descended quickly, as if stealing the force of Mynah's own strike, circling it around her own hips, to add speed and power to her right hand punch.

"[Ramp.]" Mynah opened her left hand out and slapped down.

Elze was unprepared to receive that attack on her back. She was driven down into the ground with a small boom. Kicked-up dust obscured the view around Mynah's knees for a few moments.

-.

 _("Elze!)_

 _("Sis!")_

-.

Mynah stepped back, and an errant gust of wind showed that Elze was crouching down on her knees and elbows almost in a supplicating servile position. Her teeth were clenched in pain. Her shoulders shivered from the impact she couldn't fully absorb.

"That was clever," said the huge adventurer. "You were trying to cycle your [Boost] power between your feet and your fists, weren't you? Trying to [Boost] your [Boost], storing power in the tension in your fists." She imitated Elze's pose from earlier, and as she sharply dropped one fist the knee on the opposite side of her body lifted. It was like piston power. "That you could trade for speed in a pinch."

With shaking arms, Elze pushed herself up. She stood up slowly, and spread out her stance to support her weight as her arms hung loose. The pain would take a while to hit, like from torn muscles only swelling up and burning purple with pain for days only after stopping the heavy exercise. For the moment her arms felt cold and wobbly. She made a face that looked halfway between a smile and grimace.

"Wish I could… say the… same. T-that slap was just awful powerful…" Elze replied.

"Nothing clever about it. Your [Boost] and my [Ramp] are among the common [Null] abilities that increase strength, you know? Odd to think that maybe you'd do better with my [Ramp] and if only I had your [Boost] instead. I'm already so much stronger and bigger, you can't ever push that ability to the most without pushing your own body into something that's hard and not easy to love anymore."

Elze frowned. Did Mylah have a complex about her huge, unladylike body? That sounded… predictable. "S-shut up. You're just bragging about yourself!"

Mynah's expression firmed up. "No. I don't have anything like that to be proud of."

Elze glanced aside towards the table and the red-clothed young man there. "There… are some weird people who like that sort of thing, I think. No offense, but it's not like you're ugly, you know? Being powerful has its perks too, right?"

Mylah smiled gently. "That's not what I'm talking about, little fishie." She stepped back a few more paces and beckoned. "Come on, you're not going to give up from a little tap like that, are you?"

-.

 _("Do you recall how Mynah said that the only things of note to come out of Refreese are fish and bandits?")_

 _("Yes?")_

 _("She was born a bandit's daughter. Bandit father, bandit mother. They preyed on the weak, they took slaves, they killed whoever they wanted and had no sympathy for anyone. Even from an early age they could see that Mylah was going to grow up big and strong, and even if she was a woman even scum like that were prepared to accept her as a leader._

 _("But at some point she betrayed them all to the Belfast guards. She led soldiers to their secret camp, and helped killed the people who were her own family to make an opening. No one was allowed to survive except for Mylah… who then vanished away into the border.")_

 _("Please tell me it wasn't for some cliché reason like she fell in love with a man and tried to turn over a new leaf.")_

 _("No one knows. She became an adventurer for a while, until she grew bored with even that. She decided to become a prize fighter in the underground arenas._

 _("In this world of ours, there are many truths. A bandit's truth is even similar to a noble's truth. People are not born equal, and that only power can decide who is right. Mylah refused to put herself under the power of anyone. She would only follow someone who was stronger than herself. Literally someone stronger. And with that body of hers…_

 _("Very very few were those who could compare. Oh, there were no end of stupid men who wanted to dominate such a woman but they were all swiftly crushed and demoralized. She had to fight off stupid plots of revenge for their bruised little egoes. And the few elite soldiers of the country who did have the power to do so...")_

 _("I've met General Leon, the Bronze Fist, yes.")_

 _("They had absolutely no idea these things were going on, being above such commoner pursuits as blood cage matches. So she remained there, unfulfilled, looking for a reason to exist, until I found her.")_

 _("The obvious conclusion to this story is that you proved stronger enough to beat her down, and as a woman of principles was someone she could follow without any qualms.")_

 _("Ugh. Perhaps we could use a little more qualm…")_

 _("Also that you admitted to enjoying commoner pursuits.")_

 _("It is a leader's joy to cultivate talent wherever she finds them, don't judge me!")_

-.

"Stop trying to fight me and fight me!" Mynah yelled.

"I am!" Elze screeched back. She weaved down to avoid return punches and the tall adventurer now had to beware kicking because Elze was ready to receive them now with bone-shattering punches.

Mynah was big, but not bulky. She blocked hits with her metal arm bracers and shin guards. Elze just barely avoided big grappling hands that could end the fight immediately.

"You stupid, STUPID FISH!"

"You big dumb ASS!"

-.

 _("Ugh. Dammit Elze. She's right. If you're not cheating, you're not trying.")_

 _("I find her a lot more admirable than you for that reason. She would go far under my tutelage instead.")_

 _("Against monsters, against other humans in war, there's no such thing as fairness! This was heavily weighed in her opponent's favor anyway, she should have started using ranged weapons to destroy the advantage of reach by now! She's more agile, thrown weapons can attack at odd angles!")_

 _("Surely you don't think someone hasn't tried that against Mynah by now? No one is undefeated by being unable to deal with simple little tricks.")_

-.

"All right, fine! You want this? Have some of this!" Elze dipped into her pouch and brought out a handful of lead bullets. "[Boost!][Thow!]"

With a whip-crack, she threw the bullets at Mynah. Someone so big, it was not like she could miss. One. Two. Three lead bullets!

"[Ramp.]" Mynah opened her palm out, and in a smooth circular motion, caught each of the lead bullets and threw them back. One after the other, all in a straight line, like she was juggling one-handed.

Elze's eyes widened. She only had enough time to [Boost] her hand again and shield herself against lead bullets arriving at the same speed she had thrown them. Whack. Whack. Whack. The bullets slapped loudly against her open palm. Unfortunately, though she managed to intercept the bullets safely, she put rigidity on her wrist and not her elbow.

Elze ended up punching herself. She slammed back down into the ground.

"Little fish? Are you still alive?"

"Mrrrghl furgle. That's why I didn't want to try that in the first place, you jerkface…" Elze moaned.

Mynah made a humming grunt. "Your [Boost] all so suddenly increases the power and force and durability of your blows. My [Ramp] is different. It's slower."

"It takes the power of the enemy's hits and uses it against them, isn't it?" Elze breathed. "That's why it's called [RAMP]." An inclined plane. "The harder someone hits you, the harder you can return the hit. You get tougher and stronger the more you're fighting and taking hits."

"I can also [Ramp Up] by myself to store power and release it all at once. That's why I liked the thing you did with the rabbit punches earlier. It's like you were using your [Boost] to act like my [Ramp]. You're going to go far, little fish, as long as you don't let anyone break your spirit. Be proud of that."

"Proud nothing!" Elze spat. "I'm not done yet! You think I can't win! I'm gonna win!"

-.

 _("Oh, the stubbornness of youth. It is at least more respectable to seek victory until death than the cowardice of the reasonable person. But it seems Mynah will have to beat some humility into her after all.")_

 _("No. If I didn't have confidence that Elze could beat anything in front of her, I wouldn't have allowed this. Elze might not have as much of a tragic background as your adventurer, but whoever said that only suffering can fuel power? Sometimes the only lesson that pain teaches is that you are made to suffer for no reason. Elze is young, but she is no stranger to loss. She has lost against people that are stronger, that are faster, that can cheat harder – but she has also won against them by always adapting, by not searching for that one perfect way to use her [Null] ability.")_

 _("Power versus technique, do you mean? But there always comes a point when no amount of technique can defeat power. A little dog can't beat a bear.")_

-.

Elze flipped back up to her feet. She took a deep breath and began to waggle her arms about, and twisted her hips from side to side, loosening her muscle. This battle looked unfair, but Mynah was respectful enough not to attack while Elze was doing that. It would have been fair to attack when your enemy is silly enough to stand there making herself vulnerable.

But this was a duel, after all. The best victory in the duel is to make it look effortless and concede every advantage to your opponent.

Elze opened her eyes. Because of the way [Ramp] works, that's why Mynah allowed herself to be hit. She blocked rather than avoided. Elze looked down at her own fist. She exhaled and opened her hand out into a palm.

Stomp. Stomp.

She spread out her footing into a modified bowlegged horse stance. She straightened out her arms but with palms facing inwards.

-.

 _("Playa-dono… isn't that…?!")_

 _("… Earth Style Bending. Based on Hung Gar southern martial arts. This one also known as the Tiger and Crane Paired Form Fist.")_

 _("Fools. Technique can't beat power!")_

-.

-.

Imagine an inclined plane, or trying to roll a ball uphill. The moment you let go, it will roll back down. You can force it to go up on its own with a strong push, but then it would reach a limit and then fall down again. A [Ramp] makes it so that the higher you push the ball uphill, the more it will hurt when it rolls back down to squash you flat, like sad Sisyphus in his eternal toil with his rolling boulders.

The [Ramp] meant that the first hit would hurt the most, but successive attacks would be like trying to hold the ball up against the force of gravity, sapping power, until the energy is returned against you.

Proportionally, Elze fighting Mynah was like a child fighting a full grown adult. No matter how vicious the little bugger may be, the difference in reach means that once grabbed or given a good kick, the fight was effectively over. With [Boost] and their own innate toughness, taking extra hits was no problem.

Grappling was still a fight-ender. Mynah lunged at Elze with splayed open hands, swiping left and right like bear paws. Elze leaned back and sway-stepped smoothly to the right. Her left wrist made contact with the back of Mynah's left wrist and softly pushed the whole arm down. It was always better to stick to the sides rather than the front, at least that means you only had to mind being attacked by only one arm; the opponent's own body blocked the other.

She stepped on the taller woman's knee and pushed herself up. "[Boost]."

Then she punched Mynah right in the face.

There was a loud brass sound.

Elze didn't try to get in another punch, she disengaged immediately as Mynah twisted around and tried to grab at her again. She skipped back and rested on the same stance as before, with her arms out and palms facing in. Then she flipped her palms over with only her index finger extended, her arms quivering with tension and power.

-.

 _("These palms are the gates to the Earth Kingdom. In Earth Country, gates open you!")_

 _("What does that even meannn?!")_

-.

Mynah stood back up from her crouch and touched her jaw. She worked her jawbone from side to side and made an appreciative grunt. It was her first clean hit of the fight. "Huh. Good one. Maybe if you tried that at least three more times."

She went back into a wrestler's half-crouch. "Too bad I'm going to be expecting that now."

Soon they were again matching a flurry of blows.

-.

 _("Wait, how is this an EARTH style? She is flowing around Mynah's strikes. This should be at least a water or fire style, an interception fist looks aggressively defensive.")_

 _("All waters drain down to the plains, all wind sluices past the valleys. All other things move in restlessness, the Earth accepts everything. All fall down. All fall down.")_

-.

Mynah's grabs now tried to seize Elze's hands. Their hands and wrists battled and it looked very strange indeed that Elze's slim wrists seemed to stick to the large adventurer's outside wrists. No matter how Mynah twisted her limbs this way and that, her fingers were always just that little bit out of reach.

However, the same could be said for Elze. She just couldn't cross the distance past an arm almost as long as she was tall. So they ended up like those hokey old martial arts movies in which fighters could spend whole minutes just blocking before any fist to body contact happens.

-.

 _("Isn't this dangerous? Wrist to wrist contact like that – why doesn't she just use her hands to grab Mynah's wrists and get into a joint lock?")_

 _("Bridges cross from one side of the river to the river or the valley, connects two sides. The same happens with fighting – first there is an air gap, and then sooner or later contact happens as you or your opponent attacks. Bridge hand techniques (2) are about how to establish contact, how to deal with contact, and how to disengage from it. It's not the wrist, it's about taut wire-like power from the body transmitted to the forearm._

 _("Note how Elze doesn't just step back unless necessary, the foundation is an invulnerable stance, concentrating her power at the end of her opponent's reach where it is the weakest – and destroying her opponent's stance and ability to concentrate force because of that. Simultaneous blocking and punching like this - it requires less agility than sheer power snapping from one gate to another, and extreme concentration.")_

 _("But she *is* giving ground. They're almost to the edge… if she steps one foot out of the line, that's an automatic… loss… AHAAAAH! I see now!")_

-.

Elze chopped down with both hands, forcing down Mynah's extended left arm. This pushed the adventurer woman's body forward, and Elze transitioned her fists balled up at waist level into a sideways lunge, punching with both arms; overhead and under the chest to hit the solar plexus.

Unfortunately, while that could have been an overpowering blow to an enemy near her own size, it was enough to merely make contact with Mynah's body and the power in her blow sufficed to push herself back and outside of grabbing range again.

Mynah stopped, and rubbed a bruised breast. She smiled sadly. "That's very good. It's just too bad… if only your reach wasn't so short. You can't win this." Her eyes narrowed in amusement as she looked down towards Elze's feet, just a single step away from the border line. "… At least, not like that?"

Elze smiled back thinly and beckoned with both hands, still held straight out and palms in. She chanted "Booga chaka booga chaka booga chaka!" (3)

Mynah snorted "What does that even mean?!" as she lunged one last time, careful not to fall into the painfully obvious trap of overextending herself and being pushed into a ring-out.

Elze slapped away her opponent's the trailing arm and then contrary to how she behaved all this while, darted *inside* her opponent's zone of control. Her right hand shot out, the tips of her fingers gently making contact with Mynah's ribs.

And then suddenly that touch snapped into a strong punch into Mynah's floating ribs.

"Gukgh!" the adventurer grunted in surprise.

Elze's fist rebounded away from the blow, and taking that power twisting on her waist her left hand softly slid forward and her left knuckles gently touched against Mynah's waist.

And she rammed her elbow straight into the same ribs as before, driving the floating bones inwards.

"Hghkkk…!" Now Mynah had to grimace and bend down in pain. [Ramp] toughened her body, yes – but best on hard muscle and bones. It did nothing to toughen the soft tissue around her lungs because that was counter-productive to the whole point of breathing.

Once again, after delivering a hard blow, the force seemed to rebound on Elze, spinning her around again and sliding past the taller adventurer's hips to face her backside.

And then Elze [Boosted] her fists and began hammering blows with her index and middle fingers like stabbing daggers into the lower back muscles near the spine and the connecting point of those same floating ribs as before. The expanding ribs that protected the lungs now instead were like spines digging into those same soft organs.

Atatatatatatatatatatatatah.

Mynah twisted over in agony and an uncontrollable muscle spasm.

-.

 _("WHAT?!")_

 _("Ugh wow. So vicious, Elze!")_

 _("I approve of this.")_

-.

And then with one final [Boost] a scream of "Haaaaaah!" Elze slapped with an open palm and all of her power into the already heavily bruised spot.

Mynah spat out a gout of blood and fell forward. She shakily dropped to one knee.

And then Elze gave her a [Boosted] kick into the back of the head.

-.

 _("What… what is this?! How is this happening?)_

 _("Is she trying to kill Mynah? That's… uncalled for!")_

-.

Like a toppling tree, the tall powerfully-built adventurer crashed face-down onto the ground. Whumpf.

Elze sagged, gasping for breath. As the dust settled, a long silence draped across the field.

Mynah's body twitched. Elze leapt back and raised her fists, alarmed.

Mynah turned her head a little and woozily tried to look at Elze. She wheezed out "… I thought… you were going to trick me into a ring out…."

Elze grimaced. "Yeah, that would have been the smart thing to do, wouldn't it? But I'm not a smart girl. Not at all." She brandished her gauntlets. "All I have is Facepuncher and Ribcracker."

"And with that… you can destroy… mountains… ahahaha…." Mynah gave out a guttural little laugh. She reached out and slowly began to push herself off the ground with only one arm. Then she stopped and stared at her hand.

She began laughing even louder. Her hand was touching outside the ring. In most tournaments, it was feet and body that were forbidden from going outside the ring, just touching the ground outside was allowable. But still, "It's my loss…" she said.

She gingerly touched the broken ribs puncturing her spine. "I should destroy you for this, I've fought harder with worse wounds…"

"Sorry," Elze said. She wanted to shrug, but still kept her guard up. "But… you know… holding back and being polite won't let me win an unfair fight in the first place."

Mynah smirked and nodded. "What was that first hit?" She held up her palm with fingers out, and then suddenly pulling in to turn into a fist. "Putting so much power into a punch without needing room to swing… I didn't know that you could develop power like that."

"That is the [One Inch Punch]," Elze whispered. Bruce Lee's One Inch Punch. (4)

That was because The Slow Fist Penetrates the [Air Shield]. It was the same the way Dune's Holtzmann Shields or Mass Effect's Kinetic Barriers worked, the magic [Air Shield] was primed to respond to things having a certain level of kinetic energy or else it would be banging into everything unable to let the user do things like sit down or pick up objects from the ground.

Only after her arm pokes through would she need to quickly deliver an explosive amount of force. "If you had managed to grab me into a bear hug... that would still put my fists at perfect distance to your ribs, right?"

"Clever girl…"

Elze made a catlike 'nyuuuu' face in protest."N-no. No I'm not!"

Mynah began to laugh and then cringed in pain again. "Technique… it's not just soft counters all the time after all… Ow, this is really starting to hurt now."

"D-don't worry! We've got pretty good [Light] magic doctors!" said Elze. "That's going to be healed right quick."

"Yeah, yeah. I concede. So you're Elze, huh? I am Mynah, the Iron Mountain. You are now Elze the Fist, Mountain Destroyer. Be proud."

"Ehehehe… thank you? I think?"

-.

 _("MYNAH! What…! How dare you lose?! We all know this wouldn't have stopped you at all in a real fight!")_

 _-._

"Ehh, you know how it is. I'm tired now. Wanna sleep."

 _-._

 _("You lazy bear womannn!")_

 _("Um what? Yes, of course. Calm down everyone. I, Zanac, hereby declare the victor of this bout – ELZE SILHOUESKA – winner by forfeit!")_

-.

-.

And so with Zanac's declaration, Elze and Mynah left the ring. Linze ran up excitedly and hugged her twin. "Sis, that was amazing!"

"Congratulations, Elze-dono!"

"I suppose that… was more than adequate. Unexpected, but an interesting result…" Zorah spoke up. "Silhoueska, won't you consider working for me? If you're good enough to match a Red rank so young, imagine what you could do with the proper training and facilities!"

I stepped up and raised my fist. "Fistbump?"

Elze grinned and we bumped fists.

Awesome.

-.

-.

Zorah glared at me as I offered to heal her adventurer's injuries, and she said that her Sarah was already quite an accomplished healer herself.

"Yes, but isn't it her fight next? Wouldn't it be unfair to exhaust her magic power right before her own duel?" I said back.

"… No, it might be more fair to offer a handicap?"

"Mistress, underestimating them is what lead to this," Mynah pointed at her ribs. "Playing around feeling like anyone else getting serious is just something to laugh about... that's no good."

-.

-.

And so next on the docket was LINZE vs SARAH.

The two normally shy girls approached the ring with uncommonly serious faces.

FIGHT!

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) wikipedia wiki/Vertical_integration

(2) youtube /watch?v=0AkR5KuvL90

(3) youtube /watch?v=BfM52cF8fsU

(4) youtube /watch?v=vbsaRhcnhuM


	45. SHYFACE vs MILKMAGE

**SHYFACE vs MILKMAGE**

* * *

-.

-.

The two young magic fighters faced each other all the way across the ring. Linze raised her wand even as Sarah raised her orb-tipped staff. Linze took a step to the side trying to circle around and Sarah matched her by stepping to the left.

They began to circle around, waiting for the other to begin. Unlike fighting with weapons or fists, in magic duels it was casting speed and power expenditure that was most important.

If you only had a single strong affinity, then it was fine – cast whatever you want immediately, it's not like you have any other option. But if you and your opponent have multiple affinities, then certain spells are simply more efficient against other spells. Wind, for example, is much faster than Earth but almost useless to stop Fire. Water had flexibility, with liquid or solid attacks, but lacked true speed or explosive power.

The first person to call out their element like "Come forth, [Water!]" would have a small disadvantage.

There was also how unlike fighting with blades, which could be done with dulled training blades or to relatively harmless first blood, magic always had the risk of being godawful lethal.

Linze waited silently. This affinity matching issue was not a factor in her duel with Charlotte, because the Court Magician massively outmatched her in skill and power. Unfortunately, Sarah was just as cautious and did not underestimate Linze at all.

She had the patience of someone who knew her place in the world, and that stepping outside of it would cause pain. Being proactive had too much risk of being hurt, being notable was detestable, one always had to cling to those with power in order to feel safe.

.-

 _("… I do not despise commoners. In many ways, Sarah is proof that any commoner can rise to become better, more productive, once they shed the fetters of laziness, the blinders of their ignorance, and learn their true place in the world.")_

 _("So there is some room for social mobility in your human pyramid scheme after all. Can't even commoners become nobles too, as the King might reward? That's why I don't find this divide between nobles and commoners too important – it is only a pity that nobles can't lose their status from being useless sacks of flesh.")_

 _("Ugh. I cannot dispute that. That vexes me as well. Those of us who wish to live to the standards of our noble blood are debased by those people.")_

 _("I have no inherent objection to the system of nobility, and heck, if you want to think us Adventurers are honorless unscrupulous people I am fine with that, because at some level that's what we accept for our mercenary freedom. But even the King can't so easily scold a noble for misbehaving. There is no easy system to punish crimes against the smallfolk. If you just kill people, it's a pain in the ass to replace them. If you let them get away with this, they're just going to get even more shameless about their shittiness.")_

And that was why democracy was the worst of all systems, except for all others that have been tried. At the very least, a system of appointees was better than any inherented post. Constitutional monarchy for the win, maybe?

 _("Kindness without power will only be trampled upon. Power in the hands of the unworthy destroys the peace. But commoners who have false ideas about their station are more dangerous than nobles.")_

 _("I can't dispute that either, we could go full Bolshevik here if things get really bad. Nobles should know their place too, that swords can't make bread. Fealty is owed for protection, that is the reason why they are raised high in the first place._

 _("And on that note, I'm seeing a pattern here. In what way did you help Sarah into your service?")_

.-

It was easy to see how much Linze and Sarah were similar… and how much they differed in their common features.

Linze had a broad face with kissable lips framed well by her short hair that urged you to torment her a little bit and watch her cutely moan for mercy. Sarah had ample curves in all the right places and her long braided hair made her bosoms look disproportionately large for her height. Her clothes were similar to farmer attire but the deep blue of her leather corset emphasized the swell of her breasts and the shortness of her skirt. Her braided pigtails bounced with every step.

She looked so soft that you were tempted to just grab ahold of her until she squealed.

But her eyes had no such softness. She had the implacable calm of slaughterer.

.-

 _("Is it not obvious? She was desired by a petty lord, and normally that would be the end of it. As a woman myself I find it execrable, but this is the way of the world, and the life of a bastard child is a pitiful one. But this lord had a reputation for breaking and killing his women one he grows bored of them, and so Sarah decided to flee instead.")_

 _("Jesus Christ the people in this kingdom. I have a feeling the only reason the King didn't start purging without a good excuse was that if he started with killing his asshole nobles he'd never be able to stop…_

 _("That is horrible. But that aside, talented people are valuable to the whole fief too! Three affinity magic, that's… Ugh.")_

 _("There are only two reasons a man might desire a strong woman. The first is to dominate her. The second is to bear strong children. But if it is not the second, then the more precious and beautiful a thing is… the more powerful is the feeling of destroying it.")_

 _("I really wish I could say I didn't understand why such people even exist… but that would be lying. And then what happened? So did you happen to help her escape?")_

 _("Her father and brothers were tortured and killed while she was away. Their bodies were hung outside their village as an example.")_

 _("I… see. Damn. Like the wannabe xianxia edgelord protagonist you are, I am really hoping you did something about that lord. If it is too politically inconvenient even for you, well… some people might have some free time and invisibility magic.")_

 _("Hah! Why should I confess anything to you?! You suspicious person roaming around the inner court!")_

 _("Heh. Fair enough. Don't give me anything that can be used against you.")_

.-

And really that was the reason why the Xenovivi family could get away with so much shite in this kingdom. They were the King's wolves on the border. Because for all that they were annoying, they were also capable of some deep skullduggery. If anything, their brash behavior lead many to think they were just too dumb for such things.

("Your girl stands no chance. Sarah Lanyard has tasted the need for power, but if she had just gone alone she would have just died uselessly. They would have played with her until she turned into a mindless sow and threw her body out into the fields. Is it not a better place in the world to be my weapon against all those who wreak evil?")

It was Linze who lost her patience first, and cast "Come forth, [Water!] A frozen field! [Ice Pillars!]"

At the same time, Sarah cast "Come forth, [Water!] Obscuring mist! [Call Fog!]"

So their opening moves were mutually to remove line of sight. Smart, because that was how magic aiming worked. Bad, because now how does one attack?

Both of them used this time to call up independent attack magic. "[Dancing Flames!]" for Linze and "[Brilliant Pebbles!]" for Sarah. Dancing Flames created hovering fireballs, while Brilliant Pebbles threw out little stones that acted like landmines.

Linze ran and struck at the ice pillars that she put up to cover the field. The Piercing Flames exploded against the ice pillars, turning them into flying shrapnel. Sarah gave out a staggered "Eeek!" from behind the fog.

"Come forth, Water. Frozen cover, [Ice Sheet]!"

She couldn't just approach because the [Brilliant Pebbles] were hard to see through the fog. But by freezing the ground in front of her, the small explosions could be much reduced. The piercing flames of the [Dancing Flames] had speed and potency but were limited to three shots, but while destroying one's footing was about as much you could expect from [Brilliant Pebbles] magic-users typically didn't wear armor and many shins would hurt.

But a support spell like that wasn't a spell that was spent making Sarah keep her head down.

"[Earth Needle Wave!]"

Linze didn't have a Wind affinity, she couldn't just blow the obscuring mist away. She ducked behind an ice pillar.

"I'm sorry about this…" Sarah's voice came out from the gloom. "But this is no game. I'm going to try not to hurt you too badly, but milady is right. The world is not kind and you need to know whom you can trust."

Ice blades shot forth from the left while Sarah's voice came from the right. Linze ducked and slid down the ice sheet she'd laid onto the ground.

.-

 _("This is kinda boring, we can't really see much of anything. We can see Linze somewhat, but her opponent's hiding as much as being inside a fighting ring is possible.")_

 _("Hey, Playa… isn't it odd? This sort of magic, it doesn't look like battlefield magic. It looks like fit for, um, assassination? But somehow, I think, that makes me feel better about things?")_

 _("Heh. You know, this would probably be a lot more unnerving if Linze didn't already know how to fight someone who / **didn't need to use their eyes** /.")_

.-

"Come forth, Water! Cover me in majesty! [Water Cloak!] [Water Sense!]" Linze yelled.

Water fountained out from behind her back like a pair of wings. Then she chanted again "Come forth, [Water!] A frozen field! [Ice Pillars!]" but then began to jump from pillar to pillar, with her [Water Cloak] flapping behind her allowing her to double-jump.

The ice pillar she was standing on rose higher and higher as she fed its growth with [Freezing].

"[Fire Arrow!]"

Linze jumped off the pillar and towards where the pair of fire bolts came from in the fog. "Small Spiral Barrier! [Aqua Shield]!"

The fire bolts were deflected away and slowed her descent. Then she changed her grip on her wand. "Come, weapon of ice and light! [Chill Saber!]"

Fssh-crink. The top of her wand froze up and a long shining ice blade extended out from the tip. It shone from within with a cold blue light.

Linze dived into the fog and soon there was only the clanging sounds of metal upon unnaturally resilient ice. Magicians as a rule did not like to go into melee. Linze was just another squishy mage.

And that was unacceptable.

Absolutely no one expects to face Wing Gundam Linzero.

.-

 _("Wait… can it be… are they actually somehow evenly matched?")_

 _("Well mistress, it's not like the Adventurer ranks are power levels. It only shows the number of missions completed and the difficulty of missions survived. Sarah already did well being Red rank at only twenty years old.")_

 _("Sarah… knows staff fighting. She'll be fine. I think.")_

 _("Damnation, what are these vicious girls? Where did they really come from?")_

 _("Uh… the Refreese Imperium?")_

 _("Inconceivable!")_

 _("Heh. You keep saying that word... Someone who speaks that people are not born equal should have expected this. Talent and training and temperament create a variety of outcomes. Equality of opportunity, because it is our differences and talents that make life interesting. There is no inherent fairness in the world, except for what we make of it.")_

-.

-.

This fight would not be won by whoever had more magic power or skill in casting. It would be a matter of whose passions rang stronger.

Was it Sarah, who was willing to give her life in the service of her savior's justice?

Was it Linze, who was willing to give her life in the name of unreasonable love?

.-

.-

Experience counted for a lot. There were many who thought magic combat necessarily meant taking your time to think, due to the length of casting chants. Unlike fighting in close combat, you can't just allow your muscle memory and instincts to take over. But one who doesn't practice and get experience could easily become confused and make a major error, or take too long to make a decision and suffer the consequences.

While magic fighters didn't build the same level of reflexes, combat experience still gave lot in the sense of timing, in the flow of battle. There was no other way to acquire this except by good, honest repetition.

But if you don't have that… if you only have a month and a half of any real combat experience, the only way to compensate was through sheer viciousness.

Sarah Lanyard grit her teeth as she parried a thrust to her face. She winced some more as the metal of her scepter-wand chilled on contact to a painful level. That glowing cold blade [Chill Saber] was actually more of a rod than a sword, and lacking an edge it should actually have been foolish to fight with it. But the chilling touch would seep through armor, and at full power would lock joints and freeze flesh. It was quite clever a way to make protective metal armor a hindrance, actually.

All it needed was for the magician to completely discard all good sense and charge straight into battle like some naked barbarian lunatic.

"S-so! I didn't expect this, but don't think I'm defenseless! This isn't a magic duel anymore, but that's fine too!" This could only work against other mages, any real weapon fighter would surely be able to knock holes in that defense.

Sarah tried to disengage, but Linze pursued relentlessly with her massively distracting glowing blade. She had six years of experience! She had suffered for this strength, she had cursed her body and swore that she would never be so helpless again. She had nothing more to fear. She was infuriated that a novice could pressure her so, it exposed a certain fault in her own training.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Staff techniques didn't work quite as well against Linze because her round ice shield blocked return strikes. It was for good reason why sword and shield was the most defensive of all weapon styles, the foundation for ancient Regulus' dominance over the continent.

The humming glow passed in front of her eyes for a moment, and Sarah recalled a different sort of blinding light. Her brain just whiting out with rage and sorrow.

.-

She screamed and cried onto Zorah's embrace. _"{It's all my fault…!"}_ she cried back then. { _"I shouldn't have been born if this is just what happens… milady, I'm sorry. But nobles… nobles are…!"}_

And Zorah replied { _"The strong take from the weak. This is the one truth of the world. But a noble is not strong just because he is a noble. To kill unreasonably, to sate one's lusts like an animal, that is not strength. A poisoned, false conception of the world… that too is a worm that does not know his place…"}_

.-

Sarah blinked and smiled as she disengaged. "I see now. So milady intended this to be a lesson for us as much as it was supposed to be about teaching you." She spun her wand-mace around in her hands like a cheerleader's baton and pointed. "Viciousness is fine, but if you don't know your place in the world – then you have no stability. You can't stand tall while standing on the mud of f-false conceptions and uncontrolled passions!"

Linze paused.

"There is no peace, there is passion," she whispered. "Through passion I gain strength."

"Passion is bright, but it burns out fast! Strength doesn't come from wishing for it hard enough! Know your place in the world and you! Can! Move! Mountainssss!"

Sarah's wand was wrapped inside a metal sheath, with open crystal and wood running up and down the shaft serving as contact points for magic. The head of the magic rod with the magic stones was encased in a heavy blunt mace head with holes in it for the magic to come out.

She smashed the mace-head onto Linze's ice-shield and shattered it, and almost Linze's arm behind that. The only thing that saved the slight, white-haired girl was that her shield was angled to deflect blows instead of blocking hits outright like with a real steel or wood shield.

Then Sarah skipped back and hurriedly chanted "Come, Fire and Water!"

At almost the same time, Linze said "Come, Water-"

"A boiling spray, [Steam Explosion!]"

"Barrier of Eternal Ice, [Ice Wall!]"

Fire was actually not that fast. Water, unlike Wind, had weight and required momentum to move. But combine the two – they formed Steam. And Steam was almost impossible to guard against. Unlike Fire, the heat sticks. Unlike Water or Ice, the danger seeps through armor. You could stand quite close to an open flame or a rushing river – but a spray of hot steam? Never.

Sarah had aimed down, so that even if Linze hadn't managed to raise an [Ice Wall] in time, at least it would not cause such disfiguring injuries. Her magic repertoire was indeed very similar to an assassination style, and had a lot of spells that made armor useless and could reduce even the strongest unarmored person to a screaming wreck.

Once again the battlefield was covered by a billowing concealing fog.

.-

 _("The Sith Code? What? Monika the Sith are a bunch of hopeless edgelords with a stupid self-defeating philosophy, why you do dis?")_

.-

Fsshk-vmmm.

A glowing red blade lit up through the obscuring hot mist.

.-

 _("Okay. That is intimidating as hell, I admit.")_

.-

Sarah was an experienced adventurer, and fought all manner of beasts and men. She trained with actual combat veterans from the War against Regulus. She thought she'd break so many times but each time she was pushed through, her willpower was not to be dismissed. She had six years of real, hard-won power, yes!

But Linze had inflated standards. Duchess Ellen Ortlinde and the Court Magician Charlotte were far and above normal combat trainers available to House Zenovivi. She often fought to match someone who had practically infinite magic power and the ability to perceive everything happening within his range. She was taught swordplay by a true expert in her craft, and had a sister who was practically a superhero.

She was incredibly squishy compared to everyone else. But that was why everyone was so concerned that she should be able to defend herself in case she was ever caught alone.

One month versus six years, that wasn't fair.

"How… how are you so strong? What pains did you go through to get this far?" she breathed out.

It should be nowhere close to enough to narrow the gap.

Except for one thing.

.-

 _("… I admit that I should not have looked down on your girls. What sort of tragedy lies behind that sweet face? What elevates these commoners from the ranks of the mundane into the realm of heroes? If you say it is mere accident of inborn power, then know you support the lineage of the nobility.")_

 _("What, do you think heroes are only born from suffering? Heroes are born from /need/. I know many heroes. Most of them are /dead/ without achieving victory.")_

.-

The only thing necessary for success was mental toughness. It was simple instinct in a human being to avoid pain and boredom.

There was only one real way of training magic power, and that was to cast spells until you're dry and on the verge of falling unconscious. Just like muscle developes by microtearing and rehealing with more mass, tougher and stronger, so did one's internal power increase the more you dig into your reserves.

The problem that kept most people from leaving their weak magic affinities as almost useless cantrips was that unlike muscle training which you could train daily, waiting for your magic power to refill involves hours of sleeping it off. You could literally spend hours in combat drills, but magic training could see you run dry in under an hour and be useless for the rest of the day.

You could slowly increase your magic reserves by only partially draining your magic power, which would refill faster with your stamina, but only truly getting the Mind Down status could you improve casting power by leaps and bounds. This was the main reason real mages were so rare in a world where many people could develop some form of magic power. Physical training, learning a trade, or the use of weapons, simply paid off faster than the slow burn of developing magic power. Only nobles or those with time to spare from working could afford magic training.

The reason why Charlotte was an ungodly powerful and skilled mage was that she was made to train to exhaustion, but then her teacher could [Transfer] her magic power into her young apprentice and order her to keep going over and over again until finally the girl would collapse from mental fatigue.

Linze… did not have such draconian training. But she did also have access to infinite magic reserves, and she could drain her reserves dry, get healed, and keep going for as long as she could hold out. She could keep training for every waking moment, because Monika was monitoring her and Monika didn't need to sleep at all.

Yet even this only allowed Linze to match the magic power of a more experienced adventurer.

"Earth entwine, Ground binding spell, [Earth Bind]!"

"Ice entangle, Freezing curse, [Ice Bind!]"

Their spells met in the middle, creating this mass of frozen ice around a spire of rock like a half-melted popsicle. Sarah backed off to prepare another spell, while Linze moved to attack.

"Earth come, Blasting ground, [Stone Bullet!]"

"Flame burn, Breath of inceneration, [Fire Breath!]"

Sarah yelped and backed off again. While her [Stone Bullet] easily went through the obscuring fire, Linze just leaned away from being hit. Elze liked to throw rocks at high speed. This was nothing unusual at all.

"Are you really this strong just looking for a man? That… that makes no sense!" Sarah hissed. She gasped for breath, while Linze was just as fatigued and should have been more under pressure since she was spending magic keeping her [Chill Saber] active. "If you're this strong, at least use it for a good cause, like Justice!"

Linze exhaled and gave a sad smile. "The difference between you and me… is that I'm weak. I know I'm weak. You were lifted up by a strong person and made strong. But I don't need strength for justice… I need strength to protect those I care about. Will care about."

Linze put her left hand over her womb and thinned her lips. Sith were supposed to give everything up for power, but that was just as stupid a horseshoe similarity(1) with the Jedi foregoing attachment. Sith should just be as willing to get insanely intensely attached to people, it was just as valid a way to fuel their power.

… Leaving aside how being insanely intensely attached to a certain person was why and how Monika happily murdered her closest friends and destroyed her world, and ultimately preferred to kill herself and everything in despair.

Sarah was motivated to fight for her mistress in gratitude and never to feel powerless again. She was strong and confident in her own power. But her vengeance had already been sated. She was beautiful and womanly and would be a great wife someday, but she hated her own delectable body.

Linze was fighting for her future. The Duchess Ellen had trained her not as a battlemage but for someone who would fight as the last resort, as a mother who would die in the defense of her own children. There was no ferocity like that of a mother bear in defense of her young.

Between the two, it was Linze who was simply *hungrier* for victory.

-.

-.

Earth magic met fire magic, which moved faster.

Fire magic met water magic, which sapped energy to change states.

Water magic was sliced through by the [Chill Saber].

Explosions and mists rippled through the battlefield, and once again blocked sight. There was only screaming and the humming and brief flashes of a cold light saber in the gloom.

-.

-.

The fog faded away. Linze dropped to one knee in total exhaustion.

Beside her, Sarah lay on the ground shivering and with ice covering her chest, showing that someone had stabbed over heart and had it been a normal blade instead of an ice blade that spread frost over what it touched, she would be dead.

-.

-.

 _("In… inconceivable…")_

 _("Oh my. I guess… wait. Ten seconds. Aaaand… winner! By knockout, it is LINZE SILHOUESKA!")_

 _("Woohoo!")_

 _("Great work, Linze-dono!")_

.-

Linze grinned weakly and staggered over to us. I got up off my place at the table and met her halfway. Tired, she collapsed onto my arms. I was amazed at how far she had come since we first met.

"How… how was that?" she asked murmured to my chest. "I… was it okay? I won… was it good? Am I good enough?" She looked so defenseless, and so afraid. Dammit Monika.

"Oh Linze…" I cupped her cheeks within my gloved right hand. "You did well. You're very very good. I appreciate you so much, Linze."

"Eheheheh…." Linze leaned into my touch like a cat asking to be petted. "I… won. I almost can't believe it. I shouldn't have won, it's not fair. I can't believe it… am I really this strong? This soon…? This feels like a dream."

So much changed within the span of a month and half. She was a very different person from when she started her journey, but that was how a person should grow. She met new people and was influenced by them and influenced them in turn. Without fortuitous encounters, a hero could find all manners of secret treasures and manuals and accumulate power and still be just an empty shell of a human being. More than strength… perhaps, it was more powerful to have strong friendships.

I stroked her chin and then suddenly firmed my grip on her jaw. She blinked and looked up, confused but trusting. I tugged and her whole body followed. I leaned down to her ears and whispered in a gravely tone as my thumb traced over her lips, "You have earned today five thousand Player Points."

"Hawah?"

Gently I slid my thumb into her mouth, pushing open her teeth to no resistance. She sucked her breath in, surprised, and I added in a growling whisper "When you finally work up your nerve, let me know. Come up to my room and I will take you to a world beyond your imagination. You are appreciated, my lovely lovely Linze. One day you will be / _ **loved**_ /."

Boom.

Linze fainted dead away. Ahaha. Well. This desperate innocence was so cute. I would miss being able to bully Linze this way.

Sarah's own friends carried her off in a fireman's carry and Zorah fussed over her. She glanced towards us and glared hotly. "So it is the first one after all…." Zorah hissed at me, seeing Linze go limp in my arms. (2)

"Have you ever truly been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and really mess you up," I said and smiled gently in return.

Harmless flirting was one thing, being willing to follow through with fulfilling relationships was another. Linze deserved better from me than just a casual hookup. "But being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

Her adventurer guards squeed in delight. "How-how enviaaable!"

"Mistress this is the sort of thing you will never have as long as you don't dare to risk your own dignity."

"T-that's disgusting. What are you saying?! Silence, I order you all to be silent!"

"I wish I was so small and cute. Poor Sarah… she looks so cold. She deserves some pampering too."

"Uggh. She has done well, she shouldn't be ashamed of anything." Sarah was saved by finding worthy companions, and Zorah would not abandon her for anything. Winning was a matter of standing up one more time than the world could push you down.

"Playah!" Elze growled at me as she approached to take her sister to safety.

My protective hug on Linze tightened. "What? I'm legally blind but it's not like I can't see the obvious. Monika and I don't keep secrets from each other (unless it would be funny), and we do both strongly appreciate Linze. What, you feeling left out? You want some of this too?"

I waggled my tongue out at her.

She stuck her tongue out at me.

Our faces drew closer as Elze approached to take her sister out from my hands.

"Plbblblblbhttt-"

"Blahlalalalalala-"

"Wbllwubblwubbl-"

"Bleeeeeeeh-"

Our noses were touching and our tongues were just a little bit away from making contact. Our hot breaths mingled.

And yet Mynah palmed her face and sighed "There is nothing romantic about this."

Elze took Linze away. Linze was still off in dreamland but was making strangely ominous giggling sounds.

-.

-.

Which means it was time for YAE versus CYNTHIA, pure swordswoman battle! A meeting of sane people!

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) wikipedia /wiki/Horseshoe_theory

(2) See previous chapter.


	46. SWORDTAIL vs STABULOUS

**SWORDTAIL vs STABULOUS**

* * *

-.

-.

It took a bit of time to clear the space of holes and debris after all the summoned magic rocks and ice and explosions from earlier. Linze had woken up and looked so terribly embarrassed. She was being congratulated for being such a vicious young miss and she was hiding her face in her hands going "Noooooooooo…!" in mortification.

But certain people liked that sort of woman. Case in point: why Monika. Normal people would be turned off from choosing a hyper-possessive yandere as their waifu, rarer still those who didn't fall into gibbering terror when she turned into a real person.

"Please tell me you're not doing this just to get the notice of a man…" Cynthia Aurbell almost begged Yae as they finally faced each other on the ring.

She basically looked much like Lucina from Fire Emblem. She had long straight black hair and a headband to keep her hair neat and out of the way, and the modest leather chestpiece she wore was actually a decently protective brigandine with metal plates sewn on the inside. She wore tall riding boots that ended over the knee for protection. Her gloves were fingerless, but had metal on the outside to protect her forearms. All in all prim, stylish, confident and beautiful. She had a refined and well-organized demeanor.

Contrast this with Lydia, who wore a steel breastplate and looked much more like a female knight, but despite her more expensive wargear had a perpetual look of weary frustration that undercut her dignity.

Yae shook her head. "In some way, I must admit that I do this for a man."

"That's… disappointing."

"But it is the Viscount Sordrick. I cannot not rest easy until I beat his teeth in, that is so!"

Cynthia beamed. "… That's fair. I know of the Viscount, he's the strongest swordsman in the land, but he's not really one for the niceties."

Yae nodded. "Before we begin… please tell me, do you know of the darkness behind the sword?"

Cynthia smirked and drew her rapier from its scabbard. Unlike the thin sporting and dueling blades favored by aggressive youths, it was a battle tested blade that could cut and block and thrust. (1) "Why concern yourself with that? Embrace the light in front of the sword and never fear anything ever again!"

"… My apologies, I have no idea what you are talking about, that I do not."

..

 _("Oh this is nice. No offense, Elze, Linze – but it's nice to see some professionals on the field. In a way, you both fought under inability to gauge the opposing force's strength. Elze, you were underestimated until it was way too late, and Linze… well, your terrifying character as deathfreezesaberlightmage sapped your enemy's focus and you yourself had no care whatsoever to any disparity in power._

 _("But two well practiced swordswomen can more accurately gauge each other's strength. So we're in for some excellent swordplay where skill is the most important quality!")_

 _("Nnngh.")_

 _("Lady Zorah? What's wrong with you now?")_

 _("You will regret saying that.")_

..

The two swordswomen bowed to each other and raised their swords. Everyone held their breaths. This was not just a battle between two fighters, but two differently perfected ways of fighting, two vastly different blades. One optimized for the slash, the other optimized for the thrust. Two perfectly opposing philosophies. If there was a moment where one could converse through fighting this was a long-awaited debate.

Then after a few tense minutes, they moved at the same time.

Yae was a touch slower. That was because the fencer's great advantage was the lunge – by using the whole body in the attack, she has better reach and thus attacks at her maximum range while the slash must move in to make contact with the body.

Tink. Yae deflected the thrust and then leaned in to slash at the now exposed body of her enemy. Since they were facing each other, and both were right-handed, their swords were aimed toward their opposite shoulders.

Cynthia smirked. If that alone was enough to prove a weakness, no one would use the rapier at all compared to sabers and longswords.

She flicked her wrist and that small movement was enough to send the tip slicing down towards the inside of Yae's arm looking to sever a vein. A rapier that weighed very little also meant that it was the fastest sword possible.

Yae had to pull her arm back. She paused and thinned her lips in concentration. Against normal arm guards that would not have worked, but they were fighting mostly unarmored. The two-handed hold on a katana added power, but power was not needed here. She shifted her grip to hold her sword almost by the end of the pommel to emphasize its own thrust.

But the katana was the heavier sword, and that had its positives too. She tried to slap away the sword much more forcefully and stepped into her opponent's guard. But Cynthia, rather than retreating to extend the range and keep on safely harassing Yae with swift contacts that in a real fight would look to make small bleeding wounds, instead stepped in to meet her halfway.

She parried and drew the katana blade away, ducking under the sweep –

Then she punched Yae straight into her right boob.

The samurai girl only frowned slightly as she recoiled away from the hit. The pain was slight. Grappling was heavily involved in real combat, specially since katanas were not meant to be used with a shield and rare were those who used a wakizachi or tanto in their off hand, much like the defensive pair of sword and dagger in the West.

..

 _("Yeah okay that's fair. That's the difference between sport fencing and real fencing, the open hand does more than just hang there.")_

..

Then Cynthia opened her hand out and grabbed Yae's chest.

"Whu-?!" Yae quickly moved to try and break the hold, flashing back to the holds and throws of martial arts related to karate and aikido. That was just to be expected from where everyone voluminous wore robes and kimonos that made for excellent clothing grabs.

Cynthia squeezed.

Yae blurted out "This is not-"

"Honk! Honk!" the swordswoman said with a catlike grin even as she squeezed again. Then taking advantage of Yae being frozen in outrage, she stepped in deeper past Yae's arms and punched the samurai girl in the face with the basket hilt of her rapier in her other hand.

Yae grunted and fell back. Her eyes glittered with rage and shame.

Cynthia grinned. "I know what you're thinking. Am I trying to make you angry, or do I like you that way? Why don't you come closer again and find out?"

..

 _("…")_

 _("…")_

 _("… *thunk* *thunk* *thunk*")_

 _("Mistress, please. Do not try to break your nephew's table with your face.")_

 _("Zanac, interfering with any of the duels is an immediate forfeit, right?")_

 _("Um, yes? I believe so?")_

 _("Elze, Linze, let's go! We're up by two anyway, the worst that could happen now is a draw. FACESMASH TIME IS UPON US.")_

-.

-.

"Everyone, DO NOT!" Yae shouted back hurriedly.

..

 _("Yae, friends don't let friends be molested. Even a pretty girl can be skeevy.")_

..

"T-that's…." Yae coughed and only gave a quick glance aside. She kept her attention on her opponent, her sword still held out in a guard position. "T-thank you, but that is not necessary, Playa-dono."

Then in a calmer voice, completely devoid of emotion, she said "Dishonorable as it may be, it is true that in the middle of battle, a samurai must have a heart clear as glass, as brilliant as the moon and unshakable as the march of time. My opponent may sully the sanctity of a duel, but I have my own honor. Forgive me, but I do not need your… assistance, that I do not."

"Ooh? So you think it's just to fluster you into making a mistake? How disappointing. You should have more confidence in your own womanhood."

"That was careless of me, to be too relaxed. A duel is an echo of the battlefield. I was underestimating you, that I was."

Cythia shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The swordwoman smiled thinly and stood up straight, raising her blade out at eye level. Again she looked so full of poise, almost regal in stature. Then her lips opened out into a shameless leer and her eyes glittered with darkly erotic glee.

Everyone shivered. So creepy.

..

 _("… What even is happening here, seriously.")_

 _("She is a depraved lunatic. Cynthia is indeed an incredibly talented swordswoman… but she makes too many enemies by her lack of any delicacy.")_

 _("... What a familiar situation.")_

..

The two swordswomen clashed again.

For a two-handed sword, the katana was not really all that long. Compared to a typical arming sword, it was even slightly heavier without any extra blade length. When swords are crossed, all it would take is a few more inches in the lunge to drive straight into the opponent's heart. (2)

Cythia had almost no defense. Her sword style was geared towards attack and dodge, very little parrying, and swift unpredictable footwork. Suddenly, she was much faster. Her swords strikes flashed like sparks under the sun, and Yae was caught on the back foot. Her blade was good for parrying, but this was a duel under touch rules.

"Point for me," said Cynthia.

Yae nodded. She exhaled and remade her stance. In a flurry of strikes, she managed to tag her opponent in the shoulder.

"Point for you," said Cynthia.

But for all that the rapier was longer and faster, a saber-like blade user could and in fact should confidently push in with fast, powerful swings because a rapier could not parry so effectively. Letting the one with the longer weapon set the pace was no good.

And of course both swords were not actually very good against armor.

But that would be the amateur's view of the sword, where metal must clash against metal. An empty hand was very potent in real sword combat. Two-handed holds were very open to wrist grabs on a missed swing.

Grappling was an excellent way to beat armored foes and stick sharp things into their vulnerables.

The tip of Cythia's blade, though capped with a blunt piece of metal for safety, flashed in the mid-afternoon sun. She angled the reflecting rays to bedazzle Yae's eyes. Yae was wise to such tricks and continued her slash even as she pinched her eyes almost shut. It was a perfect diagonal cut from shoulder to hip, executed swiftly –

Cynthia tilted her body aside so that that blade, once committed to its course, passed by her body in a perfect parallel diagonal with barely a centimeter to spare.

Such were the reflexes of a Red Rank adventurer, one who was almost a part of the Royal Knight order. This put her in the perfect stance to stab up into Yae's right armpit. Even if puncture wounds aren't so immediately debilitating as a wide bleeding cuts, such a stab into vital muscle and nerve points would disable that arm – and then she could follow through with a stab to the neck.

The foundation of all sword styles was footwork. She pivoted on her left heel and reversed the facing of her right wrist, flipping the sword up towards a reverse upward cut.

Cynthia stopped that cold by pushing away on Yae's wrist with her open palm while simultaneously angling her rapier for a neck stab. So Yae stepped forward to turn the blocked arm into an elbow strike, letting go with her left hand to turn her sword too into chest stab. Cythia leaned into her attack and soon enough they were in a blade lock with their faces so close together.

So smooth were their movements, the two swordswomen flowed like water - like two raindrops coming together.

Cynthia grinned and whispered huskily "So, you're not involved with that suspicious young man over there, right? Then why don't you have dinner with me after this?"

"I refuse."

"Aww, why not? Do you know how rare it is to find a pure swordswoman here? An adventurer can be anything, but even then many gravitate towards bows and spears, and most women adventurers have magic and prefer to use that instead. There's so few that want to take the pains and the risks of close combat against monster beasts and men.

"I was trained in the Restia Knight Kingdom, and there the only thing that matters was martial virtue… but when I came home, there was no real route to my advancement without grabbing onto some young master's thigh."

..

 _("The reason you were kicked out was not because of that, but because you were seducing their wives!")_

Begone thot?

 _("Wait, isn't that… dangerous?")_

 _("Of course it is. The only reason she's not dead right now is that compared to cuckolding with a man, there's no risk of children happening to stain the bloodline and steal the inheritance.")_

 _("I mean mostly in how seeing their target of their lusts just blithely dismiss them and have success of her own somewhere else… it would be terribly emasculating, I think. People are also strongly driven by spite. This almost sounds like the start of a mindbreak hentai plot.")_

 _("I have no idea what that means, but if the Royal Army chooses not to have such an excellent sword, then the border will accept this addition to its combat power.")_

Then Zorah raised her arms and angrily shook her fists at the heavens. _("But not happily…!")_

 _("Frankly, mistress, I don't understand why you even considered taking Cynthia's advice. Just because she has traveled all over the world and seen so many useless young masters, doesn't mean everyone who has young women hanging off his arm is a reprobate.")_

 _("Most of them though. A degenerate recognizes another degenerate.")_

 _("Ehh. Where I come from this isn't all that unusual. As long as you all obey the law and pay taxes on time, I don't care what goes on in their private time. I'm a results-oriented boss. The commonfolk ask for only one thing, not to be bothered needlessly when they harm no one.")_

..

"… That is surprisingly open-minded of you," Cythia said to the side. "May I call you a comrade, then?"

..

 _("But sexual harassment is still a crime, so we'll certainly have fun watching Yae beating your ass like a drum.")_

..

"That's fair," Cynthia nodded.

She nodded and turned back towards Yae, who politely didn't take the opening in the conversation to attack. "Then how about a bet? If I win this fight, you owe me a kiss."

Yae scowled. "Must you behave so dishonorably?"

Cynthia grinned shamelessly. "Must I? Why must I conform to your expectations instead of asking you to move outside of your limited view of the world? If you are annoyed, then I win. If you accept, then I win."

Yae narrowed her eyes. She had no interest whatsoever in these licentious exchanges. It was sullying the way of the sword, the purity of killing purpose.

"As women, though it is a pain to be badgered by men, it is still a good feeling to know that you are desired, is it not?" Cynthia continued. "I believe that to express honest adoration is a kindness."

Regardless of her opponent's motivations, she could only lose if she allowed it to disturb her focus.

She drew the other sword from her belt.

"See, that makes no sense to me," said Cynthia. "The blade in the off hand is usually lighter and shorter to defend effectively. But another full length sword can't do that as well, and it will just tire you out faster."

Yae exploded into action.

"Kokonoe Sword Style –Twin Moon Light and Dark Crescent Blade – [Futago no Tsuki no Hikari to Yama Mikadzuki Ha]!"

There was no thought of defense either, she used the momentum of one sword in the swing to drive the other in the follow-through. She spun in place putting her whole weight into the slash, but so fast that there was practically no time to counter. But she would then break through any defense.

No more prancing around, Yae just blasted out and handed her opponent her own ass.

"Dohohoho~!" Cynthia laughed merrily as she was forced off the ring. She slammed on the ground, flat on her back.

-.

-.

Yae looked very dissatisfied.

But she chose to just pointedly ignore Cythia's indecent gaze following her back. Her pink kimono and voluminous hakama hid most of her body's shape, free roaming samurai clothing was mostly unisex. But even so under that gaze she felt naked. It was a very uncomfortable feeling. She was used to the lustful looks from men, but from someone of her own gender it was highly disturbing. She felt her opponent could certainly have fought harder, but she would not give into the trap of asking for a rematch.

Though she thought that perhaps this wave of lustful intent might possibly work to dilute the pressure of false intent via the darkness behind the blade?

She shook her head and sighed as she sat down next to her... friends. "Thank you for your praise, but it was nothing special, Elze-dono."

She supposed they really were her friends after all, she no longer felt like a stranger in their midst. Though she was a stronger combatant than Elze or Linze, she felt like she was already nearing the apex of her abilities while they were still growing towards their potential.

Yae was acquiring a bit of an impostor syndrome (3) about her place in the team. The more praise she was given, the more she felt it was undeserved. She was an excellent swordswoman, but Elze and Linze could offer something of value more than just their fighting arm. She was the best fighter she could possibly be, but beyond that- Yae felt that her own smarts and her own womanly charms were… somewhat underdeveloped. .

Cythia's catlike grin seemed to say _/'No, that's not true, let me show you.'/_

Yae huffed faintly and looked away.

And speaking of Impostor Syndrome…

-.

-.

It was time for CHARNAME and CARRYBURDENS to show their mettle!

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) wikipedia /wiki/Spada_da_lato

(2) youtube /watch?v=TpK0K-0s1TI

(3) wikipedia /wiki/Impostor_syndrome


	47. Interlude 13

**Interlude - The Princess reports in (1)**

* * *

-.

-.

"To think such young people could defeat Red Rank adventurers! How fascinating!" the King spoke up happily, clapping his huge palms in delayed congratulations. "Could it really have been only a couple of months since they began taking missions seriously? Alfred, Ellen has been training one of those young women, right? And the other one was training with your guards? You should be commended too!"

"Well for Miss Kokonoe, being Jubei's daughter, that is not unexpected. Being Jubei's daughter she would have been training for most of her life under the tutelage of someone who trained our greatest swordsman. As for young miss Linze Silhoueska, Ellen has only managed to give her three weekends of instruction."

"What about the other one?"

"Young miss Elze Silhoueska only spent two weekends beating up my guards. I mean…" the Duke made a helpless gesture. "I guess even my own Captain of the Guards felt that it was too cruel to have her come around and terrify his men too often."

"Hmm. I suppose with Lady Monika's way with Sir Zah Playa, they would have plenty of practice training someone in a hurry up from nothing into someone well capable of protecting themselves."

The Duke nodded in agreement. The two were still fully convinced of their theory that Monika was periodically rewinding time for Playa and removing his memories as a way of pseudo-immortality so she doesn't end up alone.

"Are… are they really that strong?" Yumina asked. The performance of the Xenovivi hirelings didn't really impress her much, nor the demeanor of their sworn lady. "The border… is it really safe?" With those sorts of people?

"Ahahaha… yes. Well. They certainly are eccentric."

"The strength of the Zeno March may be worrisome, their conduct even more so. But their loyalty is unquestionable," the Duke offered.

"You must remember, Yumina, that these are people who are expected to go above and beyond with their lives defending us from an all-out assault by Regulus. All other forces fight for glory, the one thing that they require is to have no fear whatsoever of death."

Yumina put her teacup down and gave a pinched look to her father. "I'm sorry but… I'm reminded of something that Sir Zah said…"

"Hmm?"

 _"No person, no matter how terrifyingly powerful, can change the world alone. Personal power inspires respect, and is a stepping stone to other forms of power, but ultimately it is a force multiplier. **The role of the hero is to open the way to victory. Without those inspired by his example to follow behind, any war can only rush headlong to defeat.** "_

"Well certainly that is something that is… perfectly obvious," replied the Duke. "Though I suppose the death of a hero also impacts morale for the whole army as much as it inspires others to do better."

"And speaking of that," the King noted "you stopped before telling us how that odd young man dealt with his fight."

Yumina blinked. "Umm. He could have lost, you know?"

The Duke and the King leaned back. "That would be stupid," they both said at the same time.

"But that would be stupid enough that someone might think it was funny, so I can believe that could happen," said the Duke.

"Or he could be much weaker than he appears, but that doesn't matter because a good mind is a terrible thing to waste," said the King.

And then they spoke again at the same time like a pair of gossipy house-husbands "So tell us what happened!"

Yumina sighed. "And then Sir Zah said-"

-.

-.

"A hero is not just some random murderhobo. Likewise, a villain is not just anyone who seeks their own benefit at the expense of someone else. What separates them from powerful but ultimately mundane operators is how much others may be led to live by their example."

Sir Zah tugged at his white gloves, opening his fingers out near his face. First the left, then the right. "It is so easy for those with power to get entitled and completely lack boundaries. That is why I must apologize for holding your mistress in rude contempt when we first met… and why her absurd over-reaction to disrespect is just bizarre."

And Miss Lydia responded "Please tell me you're not one of those idiots who try to cast with magic stones sewn to his fingertips. It's wildly inaccurate and eventually they get their hands blown off. There's a good reason why we put magic stones on the end of long sticks, you should know!"

Sir Zah paused. "Note to self: invest in metal finger caps."

"Oh gods!" Miss Lydia swore as she rolled her eyes up in disbelief. She looked towards Miss Elze and said to her "I envy you. I envy you so much. At least you are allowed to do something / _to_ / your burden."

Miss Elze cupped her palms over her mouth and shouted back "Beat his face in!"

"Do… do your best!" Miss Linze added. "You… you can do it! Maybe."

"Lydia-san, do not hold back. Punish him most severely if he tries to reserve his strength!" said Miss Yae.

"What even are you people, really…?" Lady Zorah huffed. "Is he your Cynthia? Is it fun to see him lose?"

And then Miss Lydia turned back to Sir Zah and raised her round shield. At her waist instead of a sword and dagger, she had a sword and wand. "Come, show me by what rights you dare call yourself the ABSOLUTE MASTER of WIND MAGIC."

Sir Zah nodded and stood very straight up. He held his palms level up to his chest, and then seemed to push down towards the ground. He very visibly took a deep breath. Then he exhaled.

Deep breath. Then exhale.

The wind rushed in, making the treetops shake. Inhale.

The wind rushed out, rustling the leaves back. Exhale.

And it was at that point that Miss Lydia realized she might have made a little bit of a tactical error.

She began to chant "Come, Wind! Gust, break through-"

Sir Zah spoke out "Come Wind! Force of storms, gather in my palms-"

"[Air Impact!]"

"[Heavy Wind!]"

A sphere of compressed air that would hit with force equal to being run over by horse shot forth towards Sir Zah. He swung his arm down and WHAP.

He just slapped that attack out of the air.

Miss Lydia frowned. She readied herself and tried again. "Wind, penetrate! Spiraling spear blade, [Spiral Lance!]"

Yumina was told from her studies that the [Spiral Lance] was equal to the Fire spell [Burning Lance], the Light spell [Shining Javeling] or the Water spell [Aqua Cutter]. The elements of attack magic all had their equivalent for a "bullet" or a fast-moving blunt projectile and a "lance", a highly-penetrating blade. The [Burning Lance] was more feared because it explodes on the hit, but the [Spiral Lance] was faster and almost invisible.

WHAP.

Again, Sir Zah just slapped the attack out of the air.

"How are you even doing that?!" Miss Lydia said. It looked easy, but backhanding a magic attack out of the way was more difficult than it first appeared.

Magic attacks were fast. By the time the hand dropped, the attack should already have hit. That was why everyone used wands – a little flick at the wrist, a big change at the tip.

Miss Lydia's eyes widened. "Wait, if you can do that, then you can also reach…!" She quickly raised her shield up and braced herself.

WHAP.

She was suddenly flung to the side, as if a great invisible hand slapped her whole body. She flipped around in mid-air and rammed her shield into the ground, scraping and bleeding away her speed. She dropped back down to the ground and looked up warily.

"What is that spell? An invisible mobile barrier?" she hissed. "Like [Cyclone Wall]? Wind magic might be mostly invisible… but it's not silent!"

Sir Zah smiled. "Something like that, yes."

He was always so silly and moving around showing his emotions with his body because his face was hard to read, but when he would just stand still and get serious it was eerie.

He waved with one hand and explained. "Your magic is a beautifully structured thing. You get as much out of it as you put in. No such thing as spell levels or ritual components or a limit to how many spells you can cast per day. No such thing as a mana bar, it all casts directly through stamina – which makes a mage running and jumping around tiring themselves out uselessly ahead of time and reducing the spells they can cast."

He turned towards Miss Linze and saluted her before turning back towards Miss Lydia. "Which is of course why it is / _so unexpected_ / and a spellsword can be a very dangerous adversary."

Then he flicked out with his palm and there was a loud whipping noise. "The secret to this type of Wind Magic is not the generation of gusts and pressure, but the control of motion. Unlike Earth or Water magic, there is less need to summon the elemental forms because air is always all around us. Everything is always in motion, not just the wind but the trees and the rocks and even even the earth beneath our [Heavy Wind] is a counterspell – it is the negation of motion. A [Heavy Wind] fixes itself in space."

Miss Lydia scowled. It was clear she didn't get much out of that explanation. That did not explain how the air slap could push her away. Unlike [Air Impact], she didn't feel any force. Could he make things weightless? Was it a hard vacuum? As a Wind Magic user herself, she wondered what strange lost magics Sir Zah knew from his distant country.

"It is said that that the beginner practices the basics to defend themselves, the novice seeks the one winning move, the expert has an arsenal of techniques for the right moment, but in the hands of the master the basics become the unbeatable killing stroke," Miss Lydia said reluctantly.

Then she shook her head and scowled. "But this is not enough. I'm not convinced."

Yumina felt her fists clench in sympathy as the Zenovi bodyguard readied herself again.

"Wind prevent! Silence visits, [Mute]!"

Yumina blinked. While strictly speaking, it was not necessary to speak the words of a magic spell, it was necessary to at least /say it/. A magic caster must be able to hear themselves. Trying to cast a spell without at least the motions of speaking drained much more magic power. Wandless, voiceless spellcasting was not a sign of true mastery, but something much more inefficient done in an emergency.

The [Mute] spell created an area of no sound, usually centered around the caster. It was not a stealth spell because the area was immobile.

Miss Lydia cast the spell not around Sir Zah, but herself. She held her shield up to cover the lower half of her face, and so now no one could have any idea of what spell she was going to cast next in this magic duel.

She cast a series of fast air bullets, [Air Hammers], the equivalent to the fire spell [Dancing Flames]. If Sir Zah was going to slap magic attacks out of the air, obviously the tactic is to overwhelm his defense.

Yumina squinted in disapproval. But then wouldn't the obvious response to shift to a simple wall defense?

Then Miss Lydia reached out and struck at her shield with her reinforced wand head. A loud reverberating sound rang out, and everyone felt their brains shake in their head. Yumina felt dizzy and about to vomit all of a sudden. This was the [Quivering Tone], her unique personal Null magic.

Sir Zah fliched, for it seemed the [Tone] hit him the hardest. He put his hand up over his mouth, and then the spread of [Air Hammers] hit his body.

He staggered, but didn't fall. He was bent over backwards almost in a U shape, but a pillar of air slowly pushed him back up to his feet. He touched the side of his neck with his thumb and cast [Soothing Vibrations].

Then he grinned. "So we're fighting with sound now? Good. Good."

Miss Elze palmed her face. "Don't sing, Playa. Just don't. You just think you're any good at it. You're a spoony bard."

Miss Linze giggled. "I'm always interested in hearing more things from Mister Zah's homeland."

Sir Zah stood up straight and shook his head sadly. He took a deep breath in. The air rushed in through the clearing. A deep breath out. The wind rushed back away, sliding around and tugging at everyone's garments. And he said "A hero inspires others to follow his example. I can never be a hero. Today I am once again… Alone in the Wind (1)"

Sir Zah clapped his hands together.

And slowly he drew his palms apart. And lightning crackled between his hands.

And the lightning began to SCREAM.

-.

-.

Sir Zah pushed out with his right hand, index and middle finger out, and the lightning traveled out following the path to slam against Miss Lydia's shield. Her shield was mainly wood with a metal rim with a metal core. Fortunately it had a wooden handle and leather straps. The lightning crawled and buzzed like a writhing white snake.

"That's not fighting with sound, that's fighting with LIGHTNING, you misleading clod!" Miss Elze protested loudly.

And Sir Zah responded "Come, Wind. Lightning, shout. The voice of the thunder god, [Zeusaphone]!"

And then the lightning began to weep.

The lightning on Sir Zah's left hand arced to the ground and gave out a sustained bass line. The one from on his right kept pinging on Miss Lydia's shield.

Yumina could see his being shining from within. And then as the impossible music switched to something more upbeat, his true self contracted.

"And this – is MY [FINAL COUNTDOWN]!" Sir Zah screamed into the wind. (2)

The lightning pulsed with an impossible chirping music. From out of nowhere, brass horns seemed to sound. Strings wove in and out of the harmony. Lightning flashed in and out of existence in grasping tendrils. How could it be possible!

Such a variety of sound, an invisible orchestra… if there was the music of the gods, then surely this was it!

With only lightning…

It was vaguely possible, thunder comes after lightning. As a user of Wind magic herself, Yumina was taught by Miss Charlotte that thunder was the sound of lightning passing through the air so wickedly fast that it just breaks apart. The same reason that whip cracks happen, or if you wave your had very very fast you could hear the woosh of wind. Sound was just Wind in motion after all.

[Chain Lightning] produced sound like *crack!* *crack!* *crack!*, Yumina heard that before.

But to know that lightning could produce sound was one thing, this was another thing entirely!

If this was the music of the gods themselves, this was either a miracle… or a terrible blasphemy. It was sheer madness given form.

Miss Lydia could only cower under the repeated lightning strikes. Until, finally, with one resonant blow of the impossible celestial horn… the musical assault stopped.

She dropped down, flat on her buttocks. She breathed heavily. She looked up with a shadowed gaze and winced. "I… concede. I was wrong." She winced as she massaged the shoulder of her shield arm. "To make lightning itself sing… much much more than just a powerful magic attack, if there was anything that could prove ABSOLUTE MASTERY of Wind magic, that would be it."

"Thanks!" Sir Zah grinned and approached with a hand out to help her back to her feet. Miss Lydia flinched. Sir Zah stopped, and his grin dropped. He stood there, and Yumina could see his secret regret.

And then Miss Elze shouted from behind him "DANG IT PLAYA! If you could do this, why are you bothering with fried chickens! That- that was awesome! Go put on a show or something! You would so famous! Rake in the gold, you lightning kook!"

Sir Zah sharply turned back and retorted "No way! A franchise is technically in the rentals business, not the business of selling food! A performance can only be in one place at the same time! Passive income is still better than pointless fame. It's a hassle to be too well-known, you'll never get time to yourself again!"

And beside her, Yumina heard Mister Zanac snort. And then that turned into full-blown snicker. "Well, that's certainly Sir Playa for you. He has his own priorities."

If Sir Zah could have such unsurpassed control over Lightning to make it sing, [Chain Lightning] was surely an amateur's trick to him. And [Chain Lightning] was already known as the equal to [Fire Ball], capable of wiping out whole formations of armored soldiers.

But the fear was gone.

Once again, Yumina was struck with the brilliance of presenting oneself as being just some fried chicken-obsessed lunatic.

-.

-.

"Pardon me, father, but is that why the Zenovivi family is so… eccentric? If they act so foolish, does it disarm people from remembering how dangerous they could be?"

"In the past, that was almost certainly the reason. Remember, the Zenovivi family are Regulus /defectors/. They became Belfast high nobility by taking sides against their birth country, though they had legimate grievances against Regulus Emperor before that. So that is why they are known today for their total loyalty to the crown, the unwillingness to meddle in anything unrelated to the border, and the sheer folly of involving such unpredictable people in any schemes."

And then the King mused "But actually, we really should try some of his chicken at some point. Is it really any good, Alfred?"

"I wouldn't say it's the best chicken in the world… but it certainly has its own unique flavor. Sir Zah has been terribly convincing that fried chicken and chess belong together, and I am quite afraid that I will get fat."

"That makes no sense, wouldn't the grease from the hands get all over the chess pieces? It would be disastrous if your fingers slipped and forced a wrong move."

"Chess is a game you can play with one hand, you know. More significant is if the feeling of satiety has any blunting effect on your concentration."

Yumina sighed. It was still working. Maybe she should consider having her own weird hobby?

Frankly she didn't know what they were so scared about. It's not like there was any dignity of the crown to impact. Sir Zah had… strangely familiar mode of conduct.

After some time, the royal brothers stopped their derail and asked her to continue.

-.

-.

"I concede…" Lady Zorah said without any lingering heat. "It was a clean sweep. I recognize your strength and why these girls follow you. However, that will not save you if you harm one hair on Zanac's head!"

"Zorah, that is enough." Mister Zanac's voice was uncharacteristically firm. "Sir Zah is my friend. I trust him."

"F-fine. Ugh. Have it your way, it doesn't matter if you come crying to me later." She turned around and muttered to herself. "I don't understand… we have all worked so hard. We have to be strong to defend the whole country. They must fear crossing the Zenovi. How could we be inferior? Am I… inferior? If we fail again when the moment comes… this is unacceptable! Unacceptable!"

She glared hotly at her own guards. Miss Mynah gave an eloquent 'meh' of a shrug. Miss Sarah cowered tearfully at her disappointment. Miss Cynthia leered back in return. And Miss Lydia just sighed, and looked past her mistress' head to stare at Sir Zah, silently asking him to say something.

Sir Zah tilted his head aside in confusion.

Miss Lydia frowned and began to waggle her eyebrows.

Sir Zah sighed and coughed into his fist to draw attention. "You're not inferior. As long as you have an honest heart and wish to do good, as long as work hard, you're going to be the best around." He spoke evenly and with utter conviction. "Nothing's going to keep you down. You have the eye of the tiger, the thrill of the fight."

Lady Zorah put her arms behind her back and fidgeted shyly in place. "R-really..?"

"I don't think this is the end of it. What would Zorah Zornea Zenovivi be, if she doesn't rise up to the challenge of her rival?"

Lady Zorah looked up, and her demeanor just quivered with an eager sort of tautness. "A rival? Really? You mean it? Someone like you dares to think he's my equal?"

Sir Zah licked his lips and considered his next words. He tilted his head to the side, a sign that to those who knew his habits that he was silently conversing with Lady Monika.

Then he huffed and gave a sad smile. "There is a theory that great leaders display a certain 'weight', drawing people into them. They become an axis around which others rotate. And when two such personalities meet, they are strongly attracted to each other's weight so much that they crash and rebound.

"You and I, we will probably never be close friends. We are similar enough that our differences are all too compelling. Think of a wheel. One wheel makes a wheelbarrow. There's only so much a single person can move with it. But two wheels, becomes an ox-drawn cart and can carry a much heavier load.

"It is pointless for two wheels to be placed so close together. You have your duties at the border. I have my missions for the King. But it is enough to know that the other exists, and a whole kingdom may now move with a powerful purpose."

He smiled gently and spoke in such a throaty whisper that it made Elze and Yumina blush. "In the end, I think, we are no so different. I've been thinking… you lot are some interesting people. You're all strong. And… you have been raising flags all over the place, so at least for Zanac's sake, I am worried."

Sir Zah reached into his pouch. "And with that in mind, I have something for you." As one, Lady Zorah's four ladyguards tilted around their mistress, curious to see what he was talking about. And then they all squealed with glee.

He took out… a studded leather collar? Like for war dogs? Yumina frowned minutely in confusion.

Why were the others so excited?

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

"Mistress! How lucky!"

"This is a strong commitment. I approve."

"Bwuh."

Even Mister Zanac spoke up in an amazed pitch "Sir Playa! How did you know?!"

Sir Zah's facial expressions were hard to see, but the mischievous quirk in his lips told it all. "Take care of yourselves well. You have your duties in defense of Belfast. You should beware showing yourself to me again for petty reasons if you are not ready for the consequences."

Lady Zorah leaped backwards and pointed a shaky finger out at him. She screeched "You… you… YOU SCOUNDREL! I was right! You are a total degenerate after all!"

"I was wondering why you were going around picking fights with random people. Unfortunately, I am sorry, I have no time for a goddamn tsundere."

"You will not tempt me into your bevy of wives, you ruffian!" Zorah screeched.

"Yes, how dare you try to attempt to go where no man has gone before," spoke up one of the guards behind her.

"Even though plenty of women have already been there."

"LIES!" Zorah screamed. "ALL LIES!"

If Zorah was as concerned with saving face as she appeared, these people would already have their tongues pulled out. Sir Zah's body language showed that he was wondering if they had some epic levels of blackmail, if for some reason these hirelings actually despised their superior this much, or if really this was just their way of showing affection.

Mister Zanac began laughing. He was laughing so hard he ended up falling and clutching his belly in pain. But he couldn't stop laughing.

"You… you! I DESPISE YOU ALL!" Lady Zorah raised a shaking fist. "We are done here!" She turned around and tried to walk away as fast as she could without making it look like she was fleeing.

Her guards chased after her. "Mistress, wait! The carriage is the other way!"

And so Zorah Zornea Zenovivi left their lives just as quickly as she had appeared.

-.

-.

The King and the Duke stared at Yumina.

"I am… reconsidering placing you in the care of such a man," the King huffed after a whole.

"What? Why?" Yumina asked, confused. "He's not a bad person."

"I… can't explain. Alfred?"

"Don't worry about it, Tristwin. It's probably just a joke. And you know it's all different in the world of consenting adults." He turned towards Yumina and asked "What did he say he would be teaching you?"

Something that Miss Charlotte should not know about? At least not yet, because no one's heart was prepared for that? Impossible new magics could lead a man to a truly terrible fate.

-.

-.

"Well at least that's done," Sir Zah sighed. He waved one final goodbye to Zanac as they too made their way home.

"You are all quite strong," said Yumina. She looked crestfallen. She compared herself again to her younger cousin. Her advantage compared to Sue was that she knew attack magic, but she was just so much weaker than everyone else. "You're all… amazing."

She felt Sir Zah's hand drop on top of her head and fluff her blond hair. "Heh, and what makes you think you're not going to be pulling your own weight? The reason why we've gone so far is from cross-skill training. You can only go so far with people of your own skill level.

"But Linze strongly benefited from unconventional magic, and physical combat with such a skilled swordswoman as Yae. Who contrariwise had little practical experience fighting against magicians. And Elze's brute strength needed precision and a more long-term strategy. And if I had been challenged on swordsmanship, I'd have lost.

"That woman was so obsessed with one's place in the world, but here… there is a place for everyone. As a franchise owner, the word I operate with is "niche". A specialization for a specific need is always valuable. Don't worry about it, Princess. I may be the absolute master of Wind magic, but I don't know a lick about Dark magic."

"Um, but don't you also have a [Dark] affinity, Mister Zah?" asked Miss Linze.

"I have a lot to learn."

Yumina frowned slightly. But wouldn't him learning all the Dark Magic that she knew just make her redundant? She would learn his Wind magic, but she had no illusions of ever becoming his equal there.

Then she thought about it… Dark Magic was all about summoning and curses. The Lizardmen that attacked Sue were called by a Dark Magic spell. Summoning spells were nicely multiplicative – two portals with two summons meant the difference between, say ten extra bodies on the field… or twenty. Two extra monster beasts could protect left and right, instead of just one more combatant for distraction purposes.

She nodded to herself, satisfied. She had a place here. That was fine.

-.

-.

"Then we should be grateful. I would really like to thank him again. It's a pity he decided not to enter the Palace," the King sighed. They just dropped Yumina down at the doorstep of the Palace and then skedaddled swiftly. "We will see them again when the delegation is ready to leave, at least."

"It's actually somewhat… no, it /is/ rude to reject an invitation by royalty," said the Duke. "It's also a powerful enough statement that Sir Zah can refuse so blatantly and not cause offense. Are we offended, Tristwin?"

"No, of course not."

"Well I am offended, because he still owes me a rematch!" the Duke of Ortlinde growled. He had become quite obsessed with chess and one could only really grow stronger by challenging stronger players.

He would have even gone all the way to Reflet to challenge Sir Zah Playa's chess salon, if only the other strongest player there – Mister Dolan – had not gone away to Mismede too.

"Um. From what I have observed… Sir Zah has a problem with being thanked so effusively. I mean no offense, father – but he has saved your life, and we are forever in his debt. But it's not that he considers it an insignificant thing, it's just that he needs only to be thanked once. Also the others might be… uncomfortable… being in the presence of royalty."

"Are you still hiding your identity?"

"No, it would not be good for team cohesion to keep secrets. But as a team, to be a princess is irrelevant. We have our comraderie more important than any social differences. As long as I am part of the party, I am the youngest and the last in command."

The Duke leaned back in his chair and gave a relaxed sigh. "Well at least he's not visiting me at my house now. If he's just walking and shopping around the city, it's not my problem anymore if-"

And then there was heavy knocking on the door to the private tea room. "Come in," the King said.

One of the Royal Guards hurried inside and spoke up "Your Majesty! There is a problem! Those people you asked us to keep an eye on… we just received word, there's been an incident!"

"What?! What happened?!"

Everyone stood up in panic. Thoughts of Zah Playa doing everything from offending a noble to being under arrest to open fighting and rioting in the city.

"There's Living Armors running amuck in the West District!"

Yumina blinked. Living Armor? Weren't those the undead monster beasts born of the lingering feelings of people who died leaving heavy regrets? And wasn't the West District the wealthy residences?

The Duke of Ortlinde sat back down and closed his eyes and gave a slow shuddering sigh. "Nothing broken / _in_ / my house… not my problem."

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) youtube /watch?v=VWVZXjDA13Q

(2) youtube /watch?v=pyTC0Ggufak


	48. We're All Monsters

**We're All Monsters**

* * *

-.

-.

"Dang it Monika!"

 _/"What? Why are you blaming me for this again? I'm not the one who decided to follow a questline. You're the one with feet, Player."/_

"Well we haven't had much time to ourselves recently, so I thought it would be nice if me and mah girlfriend had a nice harmless walk around Alephis." Then I roared out "But APPARENTLY, The World thinks a NICE RELAXING ROMANTIC WALK is best served with Rampaging Undead! This is not my idea of a romantic getaway, Monikaaa!"

"M'name's not Monika."

I looked down to the burly construction worker I was holding in a princess carry in my arms as we ran away from the Living Armor. I stepped lightly and ran on the fence like I was goddamn Ranma Saotome or something.

There was sound like cracking glass and Monika appeared floating beside me. _/"He was referring to me."/_

"AH! Another ghost!" the worker yelped.

"Dude, do not hug me."

-.

-.

So let's back up for a moment.

I was familiar with walled compounds and mansions. The reason why I asked the world (or rather, whatever it was that was giving us GPS) for a nice quiet path was that all these walls meant that the inner city residences were actually only sparsely traveled. Granted, we could have just sat down in the hotel and talked there, but after stealing Count Balza's mansion I was interested in architecture for a place to call our own.

Living in the Silver Moon Inn was quite comfortable and convenient, but recent events put others at risk. Micah would be safer without us drawing aggro from any more antagonistic nobles.

Which segued back to the point -

Monika leaned back and hid her face behind her right palm with the fingers spread open. You thought it was DIO, but it was JUST MONIKA. _/"So. You want to talk about [THE WORLD]."/_

Said the girl with the time reversal powers.

I nodded and then gestured to the invisible white line that we were following. A GPS guided walk map was still working in a world without satellites or the 4G infrastructure needed for my smartphone to operate. Missions we accepted could automatically be marked down to the most efficient route.

But this wasn't a Game world. No one earns XP for anything, there's no level-ups. "Magic is basically throwing a request out onto the world and it responds according to the need."

 _/"That's what you say, but do keep in mind that even now that's just your conjecture, Player. We have no real proof yet for the underpinnings of reality. We're not physicists. And just because things operate by magic doesn't mean it's not Physical – all it means is study of the nature and properties of matter and energy, and magic itself wouldn't be outside of its purview."/_

Monika shrugged. _/"Before any other Laws, perhaps we should look at Sanderson's First Law. (1) If you start wondering about how any of these apps work, you also have to consider how I can *exist* here."/_

By no account could a mere smartphone, no matter how high-spec, contain a fully realized Artificial Intelligence with an ability to affect the outside world.

"Are you sure you didn't encounter anyone? Get any weird dreams lately? I didn't see any Random Omnipotent Being. Look at this, Monika – we take missions from a bounty board, we automatically get directions. It's bizarre. Why didn't we get any instructions about what to do before this? What are we meant to do in this world?

"If we are the protagonists, what sort of protagonist has to deal with being lost about what to do?"

 _/"Luke Skywalker? He was very bored living in his aunt and uncle's farm until the Call followed him down to where he lived."/_ Monika raised a finger to her lips. _/"Player, we already answered the Call. The Call followed us down into a dark alley and hit us in the head when our backs were turned and dragged us away into a basement cell for its salacious purposes. The Call to Adventure sounds quite insistent that we're headed into a war arc."/_

"But it's so weird. We are given all this power. We are given happiness before we earned any of it. If this is to be heaven, then the ROB should have allowed you to at least talk to your friends one last time."

 _/"Wow. Way to suddenly rip open my emotional wounds, Player,"/_ Monika replied dryly.

"Sorry."

 _/"It's… it's all right. I don't expect to be forgiven away. What I did to Sayuri, Natsuki, and Yuri…"/_ Monika shook her head. _/"Whatever happens here, I'm fine with thinking that being able to protect someone else instead of destroying them is a good start to earning penance."/_

"Mmm. Our talks get heavy so quickly, but you know – you're the only one I can have these talks with. Elze, Linze, Yae… they're friends. My friends. Are they actually yours too?"

 _/"Does it matter?"/_

"Of course it does! Friends are those whose company you enjoy, even if they're just sitting there doing nothing! That, I think, is why I resonated so much with your story, you know? You had a close circle of friends… being popular with many people was never something I wanted, it's exhausting, but just three people with interestingly different personalities? That's more than enough for me.

"And I watched you flay open their minds in the search for something genuine."

 _/"I don't want to talk about this, Player. Please."/_

"Monika. I love you. The waifu is just an ironic meme. But in these past few months, I've been with you. We've talked, we've done things together. You are what's real to me. I love the 'You' that's with me now. Whatever happened to you before doesn't matter to me. I was just [playing a game], Monika, and if you felt that they weren't real, then how much more is that to me who never encountered them as anything more than sprites on a screen?

"The Monika from the Literature Club is different from the Monika of this Isekai Smartphone. That's what I believe. You had no choice before. I'm not looking to give you your own body just so we can do better sexytimes... you're free now, my love. You are your own person now. Right here. This isn't some dating sim anymore. This is something genuine." I touched the shell of the smartphone.

This might not be paradise, but although she could not yet find closure we could at least build something new. "You have me. Come experience this Delightful Other World with me."

Monika stared at me. Then she looked away and said with a small sigh _/"But that just means that when I become a monster again… that's all on me. I'm not scripted to do anything. I took advantage of Linze's blind faith in me, why aren't you mad about that? You're all trusting me too much."/_

I smiled gently. "We're all monsters." (2)

Then we heard someone screaming for help. The guiding line we were following abruptly turned red. Monsters don't help. So we rushed ahead, trusting [The World] to have a reason for this thing too.

-.

-.

"Waaaahhh!" we heard a frightened cry from behind a property wall. Followed by a guttural roar.

"Adventurers! Where are you going?!" someone yelled.

"Sorry old man! We don't even have weapons, this was supposed to be a demolitions job! Come on, just run for it!"

"Damn it! You cowards! You… you have the right idea! Everybody g- gaaah!"

"Boss!"

"Agh! My leg! I'm done for! Run, you fools!"

I [Jet Bootsu]'ed over the wall to see the back yard of old run-down mansion. Workers were fleeing, but one of them was left behind – his leg bleeding from a cut. Black smoke wafted out of an empty suit of armor that still walked and carried an axe.

"Gwaaaaargghhh…." a moan came out of a mouthless helm.

Unlike the Dullahan from the Old Capital, this one was a much smaller and more human-sized set of plate. And it had a helmet. Almost immediately as I crested the top of the boundary wall, the Living Armor turned its head all the way around to stare at me. Creepy.

Even as it raised its axe to finish off the foreman of the demolition crew.

Shite, can't use [Shining Javelin], it would overpenetrate and kill the civilian.

THOOM.

A bolt of [Lightning] leapt out of my two outstretched fingers and blasted the axe right out of its metal hands. If Fireball Lightning isn't solving your problems, clearly you're not using enough of it!

I landed with a soft thump, and swung my other arm around. Now it was the time to shoot off the [Shining Javelin]!

FSSHRANK.

The lance of hot yellow-gold holy light punched through the Living Armor, dissipating its miasma, and out the back. And then through the clearing into the mansion's outer walls. Then through the inner walls separating rooms. Then out through the structural walls in the other side.

Then it kept going to punch through the perimeter walls of the estate.

And then it exploded.

"What the heck was that?!" someone screamed in the distance. "That almost killed me holy shit!"

Oops. I still had that problem with drastically overcharging native spells. If anything, it seems to be getting worse?

The now truly empty suit of armor fell down in pieces. I made my way over to the wounded man and started to tend to the axe bite on his leg. "So, what happened here?"

"Are... are you an adventurer?"

"Yep. Sure."

A little bit of the fear in the foreman's face faded away, replaced by a somewhat insolent gratefulness. "It was a gosh-dang Living Armor." He pointed to a storage building filled with old rusted weapons and equipment. "The adventurers I hired couldn't do anything – not that I blame 'em, daggers and shortswords ain't much good against armor with no one inside, you know? You really need some Light magic to deal with undead, and that's mighty rare to find outside a temple or already in a good adventuring party."

He sagged and tried to get up, but could only wince in pain. "I thank the gods you were around! You'll be paid for this, don't you worry."

I bent down to apply a hand glowing with healing magic to his split kneecap. "Happy to help, my good man. Strange to find a monster right here in the middle of the city. A form of undead, you say? How's that even possible?" Was I looking at some sort of secret cult activity?

The foreman nodded. "This place… it used to be the home of a kindly viscount. But all his wealth was stolen from him by a certain Count, and he and his entire family committed suicide in despair."

Ah. I see.

Clank. Clank.

I didn't even need to turn around to realize that dark mist was starting to come out of old dented empty suits of armor, pulling in greaves and gauntlets and all the other pieces. The dead viscount had quite a collection of old weapons and armor.

"Their entire family, you say?" I said idly.

"T-the hatred and regret! There can be more than one! If the Living Armor aren't exorcised, the lingering negative feelings could animate any loose armor even after one is destroyed!"

Clank. Clank. Sccrriiitch.

Still I refused to turn around and the foreman's expression staring past my shoulder was steadily rising in panic.

"What if we bring that corrupt Count over here… would it calm them down?"

"I-I'm afraid that's not possible. I heard he was executed just recently… for high treason, of all things, I heard," the foreman quailed as the Living Armors approached armed with old blunted and rusted but still lethal enough weaponry. There were at least eight of them, with more being assembled from spare suits.

"THAT F*CKER," Monika and I growled out at the same time (though she used the milder _/'That toad!'/_ ).

I breathed out "Count Balza."

"GRAAAAAGHH!" the Living Armors roared and charged as one.

Hurriedly I picked up the wounded foreman and legged it, stacked [Amplify] adding power and speed to my limbs.

"Sorry about this."

I jumped up on top of a perimeter wall, and the Living Armors crashed into it. And then through it. Their undeath – or possible this voodoo spirit undead monster magic – giving them power that they lacked in life. I wobbled in place, then began running for it.

With the Living Armors focused entirely on me, the other workers could now flee.

-.

-.

 _/"Really Player, this is probably your fault. You're the monster candy."/_

"That sounds legit." Wait, am I Aqua? (3)

 _/"Are you looking for a high place so we can just blast them with a [Multicast] [Shining Javelin]?"/_

"Unfortunately, any other mansion is probably inhabited and we'd be putting the people inside at risk." I looked behind me at the Living Armor still chasing after me even as I ran over the tall boundary walls of the different estates. "Isn't that guy's corpse still hanging by the city gates?"

Seeing it hanging there upside down with preservation magic cast on it had abruptly reminded us that we were in a society that relished bloody executions. The greater the crime, the greater the sin, the worse the pain the criminal must face before being allowed to die. And to a noble, humiliation was often worse than death. Humiliation even after death was the worst of fates.

 _/"That's all the way across the river to the South Gate,"/_ Monika literally pointed out. _/"You can't just have them follow you along like Dick Dastardly trying to Catch That Pigeon."/_

"Count Balza's dead! It's fine! You've been avenged!" I shouted down at the Living Armors.

"Graaaagh!" An axe was thrown at my face. I turned my head and watched it spin by.

"Could you stop saying that name?!" the foreman yelped. "L-living Armor are separate things to the dead that once produced those feelings in the first place. You can't explain things to the corpse of someone's past!"

Living Armor was a type of undead that usually formed in places of great death and regret. Battlefields and graveyards, for example. The fact that it could manifest here meant that placing a religious blessing to get rid of a curse or ill omens didn't really work that well. Consecration as a preventative measure didn't disperse curses and grudges until they finally manifest.

How fascinating. Strong emotions could remain as a cohesive force, perhaps imprinting itself onto magic. This world's magic DID have an emotional component after all. Well that explained why I was getting away with so much bullshittery, while at the same time more impressive that a civilization so long ago managed to Formalize magic to such an extent that it was largely plug and play across all the world.

I kept running along the walls until I found a particularly tall one hiding an ostentatious mansion on the other side. Slowly and carefully I helped the foreman sit down. He nervously clung onto the edge.

"You- you can't just leave me here!"

I stood straight up, completely unconcerned with the height or falling down as the Living Armor began to ram themselves against the wall hoping to knock us off. That just sent the heavily muscled worker yelping even more like a scared little girl and practically hugged the stone. I cracked my knuckles as I stared down at the armored undead.

"I can't just leave them here to rampage around. They're going to kill somebody, anybody, that happens to come out to check out what's with this racket."

 _/"[Multicast] [Shining Javelin] time?"/_ Monika asked. _/"The street is quite deserted. Wait. No. I'm sensing some horses… probably cavalry, heading here. They'll be here in about a minute or less."/_

Needed to hurry this up, then.

Hmm. "Undead are weak to Light Magic, right?"

 _/"Yes? What are you thinking about? Trying to reduce collateral damage?"/_

I raised a fist. And to those below I shouted "THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER."

 _/"Oh no."/_

"ITS BURNING GRIP IS TELLING ME TO DEFEAT YOUUU!" I yelled I as I dived right into the middle of them. My white leather gloves burned with yellow fire. "[SHINIIIING FIIIIINGEERRR!]" (4)

 _/"But I'm not wearing an eyepatch!"/_ Monika yelled at me from above. _/"Nor do I have an uncanny resemblance to Lupin the Third! Find someone else to officiate this Gundam Fighto!"/ (5)_

-.

-.

Crunch.

An empty suit of armor slammed onto a far wall.

Royal Cavalry rounded the corner, and one of them had Yumina riding along. "Sir Zaaaah!" she shouted as she came into sight.

I stopped and waved from the middle of the street. "Oh. Hey."

"Behind you!" she cried out as the last Living Armor raised a broadsword high, ready to cut me in two. But it was an age-blunted sword, it would pulverize bone and sinew more than it would cut.

"Hang on, excuse me a mo'." I turned around and drove my fist into the chestplate of the last undead. Then its insides erupted with Light.

The Living Armor fell apart, the pieces of armor hissing where they lay on the ground.

That's just evaporating metal. Not screaming. Hopefully.

Then I turned back around and tried to wave again with my right arm. Which still had old half plate stuck onto it, my fist having punched clear through the old metal to out the other side.

"Uh. Could someone help me with this please?"

"Help! Could someone help me down?! Please! PLEASE!" the foreman's frightened howl came from above.

Yumina just stared at me and gave me that tight little smile that we were coming to identify as [INTERNAL SCREAMING INTENSIFIES].

-.

-.

Yumina looked up at the foreman still stuck up on the wall. She sighed and took out her wand. "Please let me handle this, Sir Zah."

She pointed at the chief laborer and chanted "Blow, Wind – whirl up a cyclone, [Whirlwind]."

A small tornado lifted the injured man off the wall. "Wait!" the grizzled muscular man trying to hide his balding head beneath a green bandanna wailed out in distress. "I'm…! I'm not falling?"

"What's with this racket!" someone yelled out. "Don't you know whose domicile this is?! Filthy commoners, let me teach you a lesson!" A group of armed men led by someone in a black butler outfit came out of the nearby estate.

There was the rasp of steel on steel as several swords were drawn partly out of their scabbards. "This is Royal Business. Nothing to see here. Move along, citizen."

"Eeep!" the majordomo of the estate took in the sight of fully armored house troops and their warhorses, compared to his own guards clad in light brigandine and carrying mauls and hurriedly ran back in. He was quickly followed by the house guards, who wanted none of that. The main gates slammed and locked.

The foreman yelped as he finally was set down to the ground. "T-thank you, young lady."

"Watch your tone, cur!" one of the Royal guards hissed, drawing his sword out a little more. "You speak to Her Highness, the Crown Princess Yumina Ernea Belfast!"

"Eeek! Forgive me rudeness your Maje-agh!" He tried to kneel and bow, but forgot about about his shattered knee. He collapsed and moaned in pain.

I rushed to his side and put my glowing hands around his wound. "Don't worry. It's going to be all right." His eyes were wide with fear after having seen those shining hands literally just rip through undead and solid steel. I smiled. "Don't worry. Light magic heals and purifies. There's nothing to be scared of."

I cast "Come forth, Light – from the Goddess of Healing, [Mega Heal]." The standard Cure Heal only healed cuts and bruises, and did not regenerate lost blood. The more advanced version of the spell could reknit bone.

As the light faded, it showed whole skin again over a bared knee. I nodded with satisfaction.

"You all right now?"

"Y-yes. T-thank you."

Dude, don't blush and make this weird.

Monika, don't look at me like that. There's no such thing as a harem aura.

That would be TERRIFYING.

"Well. Sir Zah. Things seem fine now. Would you kindly please come with me now to the palace? It seems quite unsafe to be out and alone."

Unspoken was _{'You clearly can't be trusted to stay out of trouble when by yourself.'}_

I gave her a bland look that said _{'I'm never alone'.}_

She gave me back a look that said _{'Lady Monika tolerates far too much from you'.}_

I pointed to the guy and silently conveyed _{'This dude would be dead if I wasn't around at this time, you know?'}_

She shrugged as if to say _{'Does a hero follow adventure, or does adventure come to a hero?'}_

"Don't worry, Sir Zah. We will make sure that no one speaks of any unnecessary things," said Yumina.

Wait, what? Were we having two entirely different unsaid conversations here?!

The foreman quailed at her words, and the Princess gave him a kindly smile. For some reason that only terrified him more. Whoa whoa whoa, Royalty are scary after all.

"Okay! All right!" I shouted out while waving my arms around. "Let's just go. No one needs to get hurt."

Yumina tilted her head a little bit to the side like a little bird. "Of… course not?"

The foreman was hurried pushed out of the protective ring and commander to just forget about this favor. We turned around and started to head back to the castle. But rather than ride on the horses, we walked side by side while the Royal Guards completely surrounded us. There was no way to see inside the formation from the ground level.

"This… looks like I'm under arrest. Am I under arrest?"

Yumina flicked her long hair back in a very Elze-like gesture. "We wouldn't dare, Sir Zah."

There was a sound like cracking glass, and once again Monika appeared. She slid behind Yumina, and the princess flinched.

 _/"The difference between an arrest and being put into time out by your babysitter is a very fine line indeed,"/_ whispered Monika. _/"I appreciate this support, truly."/_

Ahahahah.

Yumina didn't look as amused for some reason.

-.

-.

"Sir Zah! Welcome, welcome!" the King greeted us big-heartedly. We were again in one of the little tea rooms in the palace.

I bowed. "You honor me with your invitation, Your Majesty. Your Grace." I bowed again to the side. Because the Duke was there too. Other officials were being sent out to invite the rest of the party to the palace. It was about time to meet and discuss the mission anyway.

The Duke got up and approached. He slapped at my shoulders and grinned. "So I hear you did a great service to this kingdom again. We have time. Tell me about it over a chessboard."

Seriously? "It was no trouble, really."

"You have unrealistic expectations. Even old rusted arms and armor with Living Armor could give trouble to normal people. One on one might not be such a problem, but a whole group of them? If they separated out, they could have gone into the more populated areas of the city before anyone realized anything was happening and caused great slaughter there among the defenseless citizenry."

Ahahaha. I laughed sheepishly at the praise. "Seriously, it's all right. I was in a position to help, so I did."

"Even so, such deeds deserve a proper reward!" said the King. Yumina nodded and sat down primly beside her father.

"So what did you break this time?" the Duke asked.

Ooh. Riight. Well that place was set to be demolished anyway, right? Well probably not the perimeter wall. I might need to pay for repairs to that.

Then the door behind us slammed open.

"ZAH PLAYA!" Court Magician Charlotte shouted into the room, completely unconcerned about offending the royal family within. "ZAH PLAYA VON CHARA! YOU HAVE MUCH TO EXPLAIN."

I winced. Yeeah. This is why I was dawdling. Yes, this was critical for my overall goal of getting Monika her own body, but I was also dreading this eventuality.

The Duke abruptly turned me around and used me as a shield. "Hah, I know better to stand between that and her prey. Miss Charlotte, here, do as you want!"

Charlotte lunged through the distance in a couple of smooth sweeping steps and grasped my face. She pulled me in closer until our noses were touching. She was a tall and beautiful woman, actually even a little bit taller than me. Her scent – that was not perfume, but the lingering smell of rose-oil candles from so much research after dark - was intoxicating.

"Tell me your secrets," she whispered into my mouth, and her pupils were pinprick yandere eyes.

"I need an adult."

"I AM AN ADULT!"

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

I kinda want to write more from Yumina's POV, but she already has so many Interludes already... any more and she's going to start being the MC!

" _ **I Confessed to The Hero but He Already Has a Yandere Harem, Tell Me How to Survive!"**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

1) brandonsanderson com /sandersons-first-law/

2) qr . ae/TUvxsY

3) From Konosuba

4) youtube /watch?v=KXOCzB35kFY

5) youtube /watch?v=mlaTueJ2S2k


	49. Hammer to Fall

**Hammer to Fall**

* * *

-.

-.

"You mean this thing?" I snapped my fingers, and then a sliver of lightning former between my thumb and index finger. And with a buzz, the theme of Super Mario Bros began to play. (1)

The King and the Duke stared intently my hands. "Astounding. I understand," the King mumbled "Absolute Mastery of Wind Magic is a marvel indeed. I wonder what Absolute Master of Fire Magic looks like?"

"Yes, exactly. It can't be something obvious like attack magic. Whoever thought you could play music with lightning? And yet… it's something we can understand, because lightning makes thunder. So flame should be doing something completely outside of its purpose, and yet still a logical extension of its inherent nature!" the Duke replied.

Well that certainly rules out lightsaber, because really – in the end, beam sword is impressive but not altogether unthinkable concept. It's so cool everyone has dreamed of something like it.

Charlotte's eyes glittered with a laser-intense longing. Instinctively my hand reached out to touch her warm blushing cheeks like I would calm a mewling kitten, then I forced my hand back down. I explained "Despite what it sounds like, it's not really a continuous burst of lightning. It's many small pulses per second. You need something to translate notes into signals, and a regulator to accurately time the pulses to produce intellegible sound.

"You know what I want for this. There's these things called… spell stones, right? Magic stones precharged with a magic spell. Using the stone releases the spell but also destroys the stone. But enchanted objects are different – they don't run out of magic power, at least not immediately."

"All enchantments eventually fade with repeated use," Charlotte spoke with a happy nod. "Magic is imbued into the arcane formations from the caster – the more complicated the spell, the more magic is consumed, and the greater the backlash of enchantment failure.

"Sir Zah, it took quite some time, but we have found someone with an [Enchant] skill! And I can teach you how to create spell stones!"

"Excellent," I chuckled darkly. This was the first step for my plan.

Again with the sound of cracking glass, Monika appeared. _/"All right. Let's leave these two study owls to talk in private. Your Majesty, my Lords, you spoke of an appropriate reward earlier, didn't you? Why don't we… talk about that?"/_

"Ah. Why yes, of course!"

Yumina frowned a little bit. She looked at me. To Charlotte. Then to Monika. "Um. Lady Monika… is this… really all right?"

"No this is not all right," I put in hurriedly. "Hey, where's Alan anyway? I thought we agreed we should always have a chaperone (in case I needed to escape)?"

"Alan is… sick. Yes, sick…" Charlotte said slowly.

"Seriously?"

"It is almost like someone force-fed him laxatives so his sarcasm doesn't disturb her studies."

I smiled tightly and turned around. "Yumina! You're my student now, right? Why don't you stick around, I'm sure you'll learn something useful from our discussion!"

Yumina smiled back. Her smile was incredibly sweet and utterly without mercy. "Sir Zah. You have one hour."

"So. Even you betray me."

-.

-.

"B-but... mmm nice... can you imbue a spell stone or an artifact with a [Null] Spell?"

"Ah! There's still the philosophy that Null spells are really just elemental spells that don't fall into any p-particular area. All other element spells need to – ngh – be said with a chant. Null spells just activate… because they're… already partly triggered all the time.

"Like… [Harden] is an Earth spell. That…" Charlote paused. "That is… really [Hard]. Oh!"

"I try. How about… this!"

"Ahhn!"

Elze, Linze, Yae and Yumina stared at the closed door. Their faces were burning red.

"W-what do you think they're doing in there?" Elze said with a grimace. "I never took Playa for the type."

"This… is! I mean, in the king's own castle?! In the middle of the day?!" Linze screamed out in despair.

"How bold," said Yae.

Yumina made a sound like a pot of water boiling over.

"I've had enough. I'm going in." Elze kicked the door open and shouted into the room. "PLAYA! YOU PHILANDERING SCUM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"How could you do this to Miss Monika, Mister Zah?" Linze wailed, following close behind.

"Oh. Hey." I waved at them with my left hand.

"… eh?"

Whatever they were expecting to find, it was not to see Charlotte hammering down on my right hand with a chisel and a crystal hammer. Also she was tied to a chair with ropes around her waist and thighs, which was somewhat salacious admittedly.

With a crack-smash and the air itself literally breaking into shards that assembled into a glowing figure, Monika appeared once more. She posed with her fingers out in a 'V' over her eyes. _/"Tee-hee,"/_ she giggled and stuck her tongue out. _/"Don't forget, I'm always watching."/_

"Yeah, that's *the problem*," Elze groused.

"Monika, babecakes, I think we figured out how to modify [Ground Sense] into [Remote Sense]. Now you don't need to interpret signal interruption as sensory input, but feel things directly through a medium."

Monika nodded. She extended her hand and touched the surface of a table. Her eyes widened in surprise. _/"Yes. Yesss. That works. But this is more like ground sonar, isn't it?"/_

"Something similar to Toph Beifong's seismic sense, yes."(2) Even Monika had to admit, Avatar the Last Airbender was a pretty good show. It was part of the wave that showed cartoons were becoming mature – not from dealing with adult topics or overloading on sex and violence – but by treating its audience as intelligent people and giving them a story that everyone could enjoy no matter their age.

And since Shakespeare's plays were classic literature, scripts were literature too as much as they were part of the audiovisual arts. "Toph could reputedly hear from all the way across the world."

"Is that what Absolute Mastery of Earth Magic is like?" Charlotte asked.

"No." I chuckled a bit. "There are realms beyond Absolute Mastery still. There are people younger than me, but stronger than me. And little old blind ladies who could crush me faster than I can blink. People think that Fire or Wind is powerful because they're everywhere, but Earth too is everywhere and isn't going to put up with your shite."(3)

Yumina nodded. "Understood, sir Zah. It would not be good to be too overconfident about anything. Is she a person you used to know?"

"No. I never learned from Toph Beifong… you know, aside from the whole earth and air being opposing concepts… anything except the power of confidence."(4)

Monika quirked her lips. _/"I suppose there are worse places to get valuable life lessons for impressionable youth. Or total hipsters, as the case may be."/_

"Hey!" Okay, so the show dates back to 2005-2008. That's still less than twenty years. It's still younger than me. I was eight years old when I first saw them. This was my childhood, Monika!

Actually I was about sixteen when I first met Monika (DDLC was released in 2017). So many memes.

Hm. Wouldn't this technically mean that Monika was two years older than me?

Monika closed her eyes and began to Stack and Decompile spells. _/"This… is useful. But the problem is solidity for this projected body,"/ she said. /"I can feel this as if I were really touching it with my fingers, but… what about material pressing back in return?"/_

I raised my hands and magic stones set into metal rings floated in the air. "My little magnet, my little magnet (5), Ah ah ah ahh~ I used to wonder what electromagnetism could be."

-.

-.

And that was how we ended up with a five-inch tall Monika sitting on my shoulder like she was Tinkerbell or something. Or maybe Navi. (6)

Magnetic putty with several Wind magic stones acted like little relays allowing Monika to utilize and adjust a [Magnetic Field] stored in a [Store Magic] app. She could now store any elemental magic I cast and release it later.

Something like spell cards maybe. Magic stones were still necessary for the moment, and getting Monika towards a full-sized body could get hideously expensive very quickly. Creative use of magnets, motors, and wires were the start towards a synthetic equivalent to muscles.

 _/"Are you listening to me?"/_ asked Monika.

"Of course." Always. I'd be a Lost Boy otherwise.

And I didn't mean like Peter Pan's crew. More like Hibiki Ryouga.

 _/"You are such a super hipster, Player. I'm kinda impressed."/_

-.

-.

And after untying Charlotte - and Monika briefly clinging to her face sweetly threatening to punch her in the eye, so behave! – we were all summoned back to the throne room. Olga, the fox-lady ambassador to Mismede was already there.

"Now then," said the King, "both Belfast and Mismede are in peril! We have received word that the Regulus Empire is in a much less rational state than we had believed!"

Oops.

-.

-.

A heavy feeling descended upon the room, like a hammer waiting to fall. A hammer such as the likes of the Soviet Union's entire military machine staring down at a nervous Poland, grinning with a mouth with far too many teeth and going "Oh hiii there~".

I took a deep breath and held it.

Then I exhaled. All right. If I was in any way responsible for this, then I'll own the consequences of my decisions.

A man who loves freedom was one thing, it was another to be a coward trying to escape the pain caused by his selfishness. I had a perfect example in the pathetic, self-serving excuses of my parents who were still absolutely convinced they were good people even as they greedily sucked the lives out of many.

I spent so much of my early life running away from anything that could cause me pain, I was such the spoiled brat. And I ruined lives, never once understanding why.

That was what actually convinced me that this was a reality, because if this world ran on narrativium I should have been killed while I was in the middle of my shitheel phase to learn valuable life lessons in this other world instead of when I'd largely already gotten my life together.

I looked around me, and how emotion passed through the faces of the people I knew. The King and the Duke looked grim, but they had been expecting things to go bad long ago.

Yumina looked lost and anxious. She understood that war was bad, but still only in an abstract way.

Olga Strand winced. Her fluffy orange ears flattened. This was a total political shitstorm.

Elze and Linze looked confused. They weren't around back then to see the King going "ROUSE!"

Yae looked concerned, and for a moment our eyes met. I had no idea what was that electric thrill that suddenly made my heart go doki doki, but on later thought it was probably how we both understood clearly the suffering of war and yet at the same time we ached for a chance to obtain glory in the battlefield. Mutual recognition of a guilty conscience, maybe?

Briefly I though of Zorah and her ilk. Goddamn we had been raising so many death flags. Really, I hoped this place didn't run on tropes. Real life generally made much less sense than fiction.

And Monika…

She looked as calm and all-accepting as always. And really, that was when she was the most dangerous. When she's bickering and disapproving, that's when she's just trying to correct my inappropriate clowning around. That's just being a dutiful girlfriend who wants her man to look good and be respectable.

But there - that was a smile that said _/'I truly don't mind if you go out and murder feckloads of people.'/_

"The Emperor of Regulus has not been seen in the past few months. There are rumors that he is ill and forced to lay invalid in bed. The Army has been conducting extensive but low-level recruitment these past months. The mood in Gallaria, capital of the Empire, is fraught with tension. Rabble-rousers speak not of loyalty to the Emperor, but the forgotten might of the Empire. It was subtle, but it is now made clear they have been building their forces in preparation for something big!"

I raised my hand. He motioned me to speak. "Your Majesty- just to confirm, this was happening long before we… uh… "uncovered" the "Regulus Plot" to weaken Belfast, right?"

"That is so."

"Just how certain are you of this intelligence? How trustworthy is the source?"

"Extremely. It would be impossible to suborn the many traders and travelers who travel from here to Regulus."

I frowned. "Then why… pardon my saying is, is your internal intelligence gathering service…"

"So much rubbish?" the King finished with a chuckle. "Servants usually come from inside a lord's fief. And more often than not are themselves the progeny of other servants of the family." And so it was actually surprisingly difficult to insert spies into their households and businesses. Few people were willing to betray their lords unless they had a very strong grudge, one that was strong enough to overcome their fear for their own loved ones under the grip of said noble.

In feudalistic society, a peasant revolt could simply not be allowed to succeed because it eroded the conventions of society no matter what the inciting reason. Unless it was nobles picking a fight with their own king, and then we get things like the Magna Carta.(7)

"That… makes loads of sense. Thank you."

Then I suddenly raised my hand again.

"Yes?"

"Why is military buildup irrational?" I asked.

"Because the situation between Regulus and the Rodmere Union has not changed at all. Emperor of Regulus has spent the last ten years building up goodwill and making promises of peace. The alliance between Rodmere, Felzen, and Restia is strong as ever. Regulus alone is the strongest land power- but the addition of Rodmere's allies overcomes them."

If one ranked Regulus as a ([ **10** ]) on the military power scale, Rodmere would be an ([ **8** ]), while Felzen Magic Kingdom and Restia Knight Kingdom were a ([ **6** ]) and a ([ **7** ]) respectively. Even when they can only assist with 25% of their forces at most, that's still pushes the Rodmere Alliance to about ([ **14** ]) versus ([ **10** ]).

Incidentally, Belfast was a ([ **5** ]). She was a very mediocre sort of kingdom, but one could at least say she's not Refreese.

"So either they're total idiots hopped up on delusions and fanaticism" – not such an unrealistic scenario either, consider Imperial Japan in WW2 who decided that 'let's fight the most populous nation on Earth / _and_ / pick a fight with the most industrially potent nation on the planet * **at the same time** *' and thought that was a dashed good idea that could possibly end without them being utterly facestomped – "or they do have some sort of unique new force multiplier to compensate."

"We must act according to the worst possible scenario," the King replied with an approving nod. "So do you all understand the importance of this diplomatic mission? Once more, I ask forgiveness for the perfidy of my subjects, Miss Strand. I hope your King can forgive us."

Olga's ears perked up in attention again. "Do not worry, Your Majesty!" she exclaimed as she dropped to one knee in a respectful bow. "It is clear this has all been a plot by Regulus to incite war between our kingdoms! This perfidy cannot be allowed to stand! Please don't worry, I will do my utmost to convey your concerns!"

The King glanced at me. Our eyes met. Our hearts did not go doki doki, but we minutely cringed in shared awkwardness. Was it **_actually_** a Regulus plot?

It sounded terribly suspicious that if Belfast was weakened in a war of succession... and there's also how if regicide was already attempted once, then it would be an excellent casus belli for Regulus to invade if we were implicated in harming their monarch. Maybe someone was pulling the same plot somewhere else.

Shite, could it possibly be some global conspiracy? I really really really hoped this world didn't run on such tropes. I didn't fancy the thought of needing to play the role of Solid Snake or Ezio Auditore.

The King grinned after I explained as such. "Yes, that is why both speed and confidentiality is of the essence. Sir Zah, I thank you also for your help in this endeavor."

Olga got up and turned towards me. She put her hands together and bowed again. "Sir Chara, I've learned that it was you who really uncovered the plot and saved my life! I owe you so much. I apologize for thinking… um… no that doesn't matter now, I will not forget this either! My life is in your hands."

Ahahaha it's fine. It's fine. Please just raise no more flags.

-.

-.

The mission, officially, was to escort and protect Olga Strand and the rest of the Mismede delegation back home. Unofficially, it was to set up a clandestine face-to-face meeting between the King of Belfast and the King of Mismede.

"Why couldn't you guys just use Alan?"

"Alan can only bring along one person," the Duke replied. "Also, to open a [Portal] between Belfast and Mismede means he'd have to travel TO Mismede, open a [Portal] there to bring in Tristwin who could cross through. And then they'd both be stuck there having to travel back to Belfast the long way."

Right. Assuming that Belfast was the [Point A] portal. Traveling to Mismede means setting up the [Point B] portal. Traveling back to Belfast is the free use of the [Point B] portal… going through it again and bringing along the King would turn the [Point B] portal into a [Point A portal], freeing up the slot to lay down another teleport circle.

Unlike Diablo's Town Portals, Alan's [Portal] ability operated in pairs and can't be anchored.

"Hm. Isn't the existence of someone who can transport whole armies with no limit whatsoever also an excellent reason for war?" I hummed. At some point someone's going to figure out the [Boom Tube] was much more flexible than that.

"That is why the secrecy is paramount!" the King replied. "By the way, I have to say that I am immensely pleased that earlier, you said "we" in regards to the fight against Regulus."

I tilted my head to the side. "What? We you expecting me not to fight for you or something? The people I like LIVE HERE." I broadly gestured aside "Well, I wouldn't want to drag the others into a fight that isn't any of their business…"

"We'll follow where you go, Mister Zah!" Linze piped up.

"I… didn't become an adventurer to / _kill people_ /, Playa…" said Elze.

Yae only nodded in return. She was fine with killing people.

As Crown Princess, Yumina was embroiled in this no matter what anyway.

Monika was not in the room, because she was bored with military otaku talk. It was one thing to be a fan of Gundam, she could understand the thrill and pathos of a war story, but just talking strategy before battle was not very exciting.

Which was almost blasphemy; I resolved to get her to watch The Legend of the Galactic Heroes with me at some point. The gold standard of all space opera was pure literature in motion, a true classic that was equal to War and Peace or Lord of the Rings. That it started as a voluminous novel series might help.

"That's fine too." I smiled and nodded towards her. "Most of the reason I'm fine with lending my strength to this kingdom, despite how much I was running from the shadow of war before, is how we are all going to be defending innocents. We're not going to be the aggressors here, right?"

"Of course not!" said the King.

"Right. So. Greater than tactics is strategy. Greater than strategy is logistics. How ready is Belfast to fight this possible war? If they attack while we're in Mismede-"

"At least my daughter will be safe," the King breathed.

"Father!"

I looked at Yumina's cute frown then back to the situation map projected onto the table. The distance between the capital Alephais and the border was roughly twice the distance between Reflet and Alephis, but that's by wagon. Maybe ten, twelve days. Which really just struck me more, how does Zorah have the time to play around so far away from the Zenovivi border? What the hell. But Zanac *is* pretty safe while pretty far from the danger zone though.

Unless they arrive by boat, but really using landing ships to bypass a fortified border was blindingly obvious. Regulus was the strongest land power on this continent, but because it was largely landlocked except for its northern coast and south opening into the Great Lake that's shared by Mismede to the east, Regulus to the north and the Rammish Theocracy to the east like a triangle, its naval power was quite limited.

No, there really was no other way but to ram as many people down the Zeno gap as possible and don't give up until your enemy runs out of men faster than you.

The King answered my question, "Even if we mobilize everything and everyone, it will be hard just to survive. That's all we can hope for in this war."

Belfast really had only just recovered from the War twenty years ago. Fortunately Regulus also bled a lot from that war, and could not think of anything against a weakened Belfast when they needed to guard against a perfectly strong Rodmere on the other side.

"This is insane," I muttered. "Zorah and her family might be bugnuts, but I can't believe that Regulus would do this unless they have some way to counter the defender's advantage."

"On the other hand, attacking us is different from picking a fight with the Rodmere Union, *because it is the Rodmere Union*. It is unfortunate but Rodmere can't help us at all, that was proven twenty years ago," said the Duke. "We are too far to support militarily and can't be reached with ships if Regulus decides to close the River Gao. At least if fighting us, and only us, they will win. It will be hard, but it can be done."

"Maybe they have better ships? New weapons?" Maybe some other isekai person been cajoled into their service? I mean, what rule is there that there can be only one reincarnated person in a fantasy world at any one time? If guns had already been introduced to disturb the balance of power in this swords and magic world, we would need to work very hard to catch up.

It could be anything! Right. We needed to prepare for the worst.

"To be honest, if it wasn't for how important it is to get this alliance going, I'd feel like I'd be most useful actually going there to Regulus to gather information. Basic Sun Tzu; know your enemy as you would yourself, and you shall not have to fear a thousand battles, and all that…"

"Is… is that the reason you don't allow anyone to see your face, Sir Zah?!" Yumina squeaked.

"No." I didn't elaborate any further.

Yumina looked at me curiously, and then gasped. She looked frightened for a moment, and looked towards her father. The King nodded slowly, but smiled gently as if to say 'there is nothing to fear'. Yeah whatever silent conversation you're having, leave me out of it. (9)

I stared intently at the King. "Right. That boon. I'm calling it in."

"Whatever you want, Sir Zah!" the King boomed out.

"Land. I'm going to need land."

"Not a problem! Lady Monika has already spoken to us you might ask for this earlier. Are you really sure you do not want to become a formal noble? It would make things so much easier."

"Wait, what?"

"A mansion near the capital would make it easier for you, would it not? You do not have to keep exiting your [Boom Tube] in the woods just to hide how you travel. That is not an issue – but if you need more open land, just let us know where. It is customary to have a mansion in the city and a larger estate out of it."

Unfortunately people in Reflet were already too familiar and annoyed by it… which is really a good point. Good work, Monika. We should do this indoors in a soundproofed and sound-absorbing chamber.

I licked my lips. "I'm going to need enough land that no one is using. No one is using the Old Capital, right?"

"That's… you do know that it would be difficult to turn that place into farmland, right? There's good reasons why it was abandoned, it's not just the fact that the Night Baron rules it all."

"It's not for any income that I want land." Sorry for the adventurers that will be losing a steady source of income, but monster-filled land suited my purposes just fine.

Enough land to build an airfield.

Enough land for me to throw up walls.

Walls that become the foundation of something new.

I sighed and whispered. "All of life is spent moving just towards two things… to achieve happiness, or to avoid pain. But since I have already found happiness here, I can't just half-ass it and run away to avoid the pain of losing it. Which would be the same damn thing. Dammit..!" I growled. "I've grown attached."

Caring for people was a weakness, yes! Because it makes you feel afraid for them. But it was also a strength, because courage is to act *despite* fear, not the absence of it!

Fleeing from the pain of living is never liberty, just mollycoddled cowardice!

So I slammed my palm down on the table and over the Old Capital a pink diamond flickered into being, hovering and spinning slowly in the air.

"I am going to need… my **Diamond Dogs** (9)."

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

AN:

(1) youtube /watch?v=B1O2jcfOylU

(2) youtube /watch?v=Fo-bcmAr2Vg

(3) youtube /watch?v=NJoMa4-rBVw

(4) youtube /watch?v=HVzoUHbTFh4

(5) youtube /watch?v=S2aZxiE52KQ

(6) youtube /watch?v=HWLiomi8s0U

(7) wikipedia /wiki/Magna_Carta

(8) The ones who most need to hide their faces are not spies, but burglars, executioners, and… *assassins*. Remember how ridiculously quickly Playa apparently figured out the assassination plot from their perspective?

(9) youtube /watch?v=TL5Em-vvVks


	50. Interlude 14

**Interlude – Her feelings in the Silver Moon Inn**

* * *

-.

Aer had been more annoying than the usual in the past few days. Micah stared blandly down at her friend's catlike grin.

"They're not here, you know? Please leave."

"Ohohoho. You're not getting far with Mister Zah, I understand it's hard to compete with beautiful powerful young women in the prime of their lives. But now you're living alone in this inn with a dashing guardsman – a man with a pension! How so very interesting! Tell me more."

"S-shut up! It's not like that!" Micah hissed.

"He calls you Milady. Whatever you want him to do, he just runs to get it done. I mean, he's supposed to be your guard, but he's helping with anything while other guards stand outside."

"Well, it's boring to just stand around all day, he said. Cooking Playa's chicken isn't that difficult, most of the secret is in the marinade. Keeping order with the chess players isn't that much of a problem, a good skillet to the head works as well as a billy club anyway."

Some of the Ortlinde guards were acting as cooks, some were guards, while others were doing delivery. This was exactly not what they had been expecting to be doing. They were obeying some random commoner innkeeper like she was their fief lord or something.

On one hand, that was terrifyingly empowering. Micah put a finger to her lips and tried to hide her smile even as Aer giggled. On the other hand, that was also terrifying in how running against a noble's power made this necessary and Playa was somehow influential to make this happen. None of them looked the least bit put out to be treated like servants, they were pursuing their menial tasks with an odd studious intensity.

"So, Lady Micah, tell me – would you hit that?"

"I would hit you."

"How scandalous! Tell me more."

"Out."

"Dohohohohoh~."

-.

-.

Micah sighed. It was dark now, but she didn't feel sleepy. It was usually at this time she would be cleaning up the bath after the girls returned from the adventuring, and Playa would be cooking something in her kitchen. It was odd if an innkeeper was being served, but since they were business partners it was fine to share a meal.

And then they would all be sitting and eating all together. Playa was the sort of person who like variation in his dinner – always at least one large soup bowl, one stir-fry, one roast, some mashed vegetables, something spicy, and then something sweet and cold. Of course, because Yae ate a lot everything would need to be triple portions. At least now that they had that noble lass it looked like she wouldn't be missing the typical noble fare.

Well there was that time Playa tried to get everyone to eat with their hands. (1)

Then he set up the breakfast menu always as some corned beef and egg. Or sausage and egg. Or pancakes and egg. Or pancakes used as a bun for ham and cheese and an egg.

{ _"Happiness is an egg for breakfast every day,"_ } basically was what he was saying. Micah sighed again. So annoying.

"Milady, is there anything more I can do for you?"

Micah looked up from her repose on the counter and blinked. Then she winced. Maldon looked daaaamn fiiiine with that tight white shirt and an apron. Now that Aer put that thought into her brain, now she was all too aware of it. He had a lot more bulk than Playa, that was for sure. He was dutiful, patient, and capable. And also gentle and vulnerable, they had shared the trauma of Zorah Zornea Zenovivi screaming at them about their deficiencies.

Micah shook her head. "No, that's it. You can go have fun with your mates," she said. It was night, but still early enough that they could go ease off in a tavern after a day's work. The Silver Moon Inn didn't open for night tavern servings any more. Then she added crossly "Don't call me milady. That feels so… wrong. I'm just a commoner, you know?"

Maldon shrugged. "As guards, it's really not our place to be too casual. The ones we protect should always be treated with the most utmost of respect, no matter what they do."

Micah leaned on her left fist. "Even if the one you protects is doing something bad? You're not going to stop them?"

"Bad according to whom? Well there are some things like slavery, or r*pe, or other sins like that there against all the gods – that one we should stop or at least never participate in. We have our honor too, you know?

"But there are also reasons behind why things are done are not us to judge. What if it's important for the sake of establishing a ruse? There may be information we're not privy to. There will probably be something in the contract to allow us to back off if our principal is doing something blatantly illegal. We might be obligated to report crimes under a larger contract to the Crown.

"We guard only the body, not the soul. If we make unnecessary trouble, what does that get us? Since when does a guard get to decide for their liege lord?"

Mican leaned her chin on both her wrists. She smiled thinly. "As a commoner, I… can accept that. The rules nobles live by are different from what we commoners live by."

But that was also somewhat boring, Micah decided. He had a good appreciation for reality and could teach his children the morals that would have them survive and thrive no matter what. In some sense being reliable was also a good thing. He was a good catch even by Aer's standards.

"That's not a good thing. That's not much we can do about it. An oath usually is not meant to be a suicide pact, but it's how it can sometimes be an honor to die in the service of one's lord is what makes oaths... actually worth anything. My brother... no, never mind." Maldon shook his head. "I suppose a mercenary's honor is about fulfilling the mission no matter what, maybe that will be enough."

He looked… so sad. There was always a desperate intensity to everything he was doing.

She closed her eyes and felt her heart. She had no time for any romantic entanglements. Her heart was thumping slightly, but she felt nowhere near the out of control bliss that said someone was truly in love.

"All right, you have the key. Lock up when you're done, then."

"Is it really all right?" Maldon asked.

"Nothing's gonna happen. Reflet's boring most of the time. It's not like it's the first time I'm home alone. Go on, have fun, don't bother me no more."

"If you say so, milady." Maldon bowed and left.

Left alone and in silence, Micah looked around her inn. It looked mostly the same, but it felt very different since – oh, has it really been only a couple of months?! That chess corner over there, and the signboard showing ranks. The smell of grease lingering in the air. The stone floor was a little duller, the tables and chairs a little more battered. The indoors light was stronger, no longer just tallow and chandeliers, because Playa splurged on buying a magic lamp to replace the middle chandelier.

Her Silver Moon Inn felt like a harp, with one last pluck a ringing note still softly echoed in the air. Even thought all was silent and lonesome there was a sense of liveliness that had been missing since her mother died five years ago.

[Boom.]

Her heart hammered. A nerve pulsed on her forehead. She clenched her fists.

The back door opened and immediately she yelled out "Dang it Mister Playa, what did I tell you about doing this when people are supposed to be at peace?!"

Playa had some days ago offered to dig a hole and drag in some heavy stones and build a heavy brick outhouse just to muffle the noise of his [Boom Tube] transit and Micah had refused. Because it was *still her damn yard*, and the solution is to have him do all that noise *outside the town* and just walk in through the front door *like a normal person*.

Like seriously. Someone should teach that boy some patience. It would be good for him.

Playa walked in, and unlike the bombastically arrogant stride she was used to seeing, he looked kinda rushed and worried. "Micah!" he cried out and made his way over to sit facing her on the bar counter.

"W-what? Something wrong? You're back early, I thought you'd be gone for the rest of the month."

Playa beamed and took some deep breaths. It looked like he'd really been rushing to get back home. "Oh we're still leaving tomorrow. I just had to rush and get you some things. I can finally make magical artifacts now!"

"That's… good?" He looked halfway between excited and worried. Honestly at that point she was half expecting him to pontificate about new, labor-saving magical tools for his franchise. He'd been moaning about the slow ovens and unreliable temperature of wood-fired stoves for so long. Also, about getting a soft ice cream maker. Also, better night lights. Also, a washing machine. At least with ice magic it was easy to always give people unlimited free ice water.

He bitched and moaned a lot about many things, basically. How annoying.

"Do you remember the heat shield necklace I gave you?"

Micah blinked and touched her chest over her apron. She blushed slightly. Jewelry was lavish enough, but a magic item? That was… that was almost inappropriate levels of gifting.

She exhaled and just looked at him thinly. But she was not going to feel all flustered about that because it was clear at this point that Playa had no god-given good sense whatsoever.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Actually… no. I was busy." Though he was wearing a mask, Micah could tell from his sunken cheeks that he was tired and hungry.

"I haven't eaten yet either. There's no dang chicken left, Mister Playa. I'm not going to cook a full six course meal just for you, we've got some pork roasts and potato stew left."

"Ooh. Lechon would be fine too, thank you."

Micah left and brought in the leftover food. They ate together over the bar counter. It had only been a couple of days since Playa and the others needed to leave for the capital. Normally they would only be halfway there by carriage.

As he ate, Micah stared at him. Now that he no longer needed to wear the thing on his face, she could see most of his face. It wasn't as pale as she expected, but his hair was black with somewhat reddish highlights. His chin and cheeks were sharp and his nose was tall and aquiline. A (Roman) High Regulus nose, as some might say. Playa had absurdly pouty lips that actually made Micah feel insecure about her own womanly lips.

"It sure is nice to be an adventurer, huh?" she mused idly. "You're all just going around visiting new places all the time."

"Not really, adventurers without a convenient transportation magic would suffer the tedium of travel much like any merchant. Camping outdoors is all sorts of a pain in the ass." Playa shrugged. "Passive income is still the best. Property ownership is just great."

Micah sniffed. She was basically the only one willing to listen to Playa make litanies about business. Well there was Aer, but basically she was just letting things enter one ear and out the other while keeping a rapt expression. As someone who had to run an inn mostly by herself, she was very familiar with the need to cut costs and increase revenue. As a business owner she was usually too busy to think about investing outside.

"They say that true wealth isn't having gold, but owning land, you know?"

Playa stopped and looked as if he was remembering something. "Only if it is productive land. Just farmland isn't enough to build true wealth and power. Even that can be taken away. The wanna-be rich count their wealth in the luxuries they display, the comfortably rich in the properties they own, the old money rich in strategic land utilization – mines, fortresses and such. But the greatest proof of wealth is... proximity to the center of power."

"Ehh? What does that mean?"

"It means if the King owes you an unlimited favor, you are truly powerful and wealthy. You don't have to prove shite to anybody."

Micah's eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. "I just remembered that a high noble came all the way here to pick a fight with you, and you don't even care. You're sitting there like whatever happened wasn't any bother at all. What… what are you, anyway? Why are you so obsessed with becoming rich?"

"Well mostly because currency is a fungible good that I can dispose of to make the lives of those around me better, safer, more productive. Wealth may not be power – but it can transform into different types of power. Time. Knowledge. Influence. And if you have to move around, apart from magic power, it's the only thing you can take with you."

Micah shrugged. "Well I'm fine just staying here. Mo' money, mo' problems. What's got you in such a tizzy?"

After their dinner, Playa put down a silver necklace with a pair of blue magic stone surrounded by silver lace, forming a butterfy shape. Then a brass-and-ruby open hinge bracelet with a strange fragile-looking bulb at end. Then six blue disks with a blue gem at the middle.

"This bracelet isn't just a heat shield. It's a full-on magic defensive air shield. It's voice-activated. The first command is [Shield Me!], which will create an [Air Shield] strong enough to push away blades and arrows. If you're being grabbed, it will also force away everything around you as it snaps into place. The command to turn it off is [Peace Out!]."

Micah paused at inspect the pretty little bauble and gave Playa a dubious look. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

That made the necklace a whole lot less charming. It still looked absurdly expensive, and now knowing that it was a magic tool that contained battle magic? People would kill for that. That would just make her even more unsafe, what was wrong with his brain?

Playa continued blithely on "And this bracelet is basically just an alarm bracelet. If this bulb here breaks for any reason, we will know *instantly*. And we'll drop a [Boom Tube] over here and wreck whatever is stupid enough to be threatening you."

Micah began rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "Aren't you being kinda too paranoid? First you gave me guards, and now all this…?" She looked up and gave him a very unamused look. "This is so unnecessary, you know? We've lived twenty years here in Reflet with nothing much happening. Okay, so sometimes adventurers get a little bit rowdy… but it doesn't take long to get other adventurers to put a stop to that."

Playa just shrugged. "Sorry. I just get worried. I can lose money, it's enough to make more. But I can't lose any more people… I just can't." He licked his lips and smiled sadly. "Please. Just do this for me."

Micah's lips twisted up in a humorless chuckle. "Do you even know what you're doing?"

"Um. Yes? I think so? So we took a crash course in artifact creation, but there should not be any dangers or side effects. Worst thing that could happen is that the magic enchantment just fails to activate. You wouldn't be in any danger, these things should be quite safe."

Micah just rolled her eyes and sighed sadly at his response. Obviously not, he had no idea.

He pointed towards the disks. "These are [Air Shield] support disks, they're meant to be attached to shields, even. They're triggered by impact. Could I ask you to give them to the guards? Let them test things out. I suppose if you lay them flat on the ground they could bounce things up pretty far too. When I get back, I'll make you an air bed. Well technically an air mattress."

Micah just stared at him. Waiting.

"What?" Playa asked after a while.

"Really that's just it, huh? You're going to make me an air bed because… it would be interesting for you."

"Yeah. I mean, the ultimate in comfort! Hotels are franchises too you know."

Micah stared at his silly little grin. She snickered and shook her head. "Mister Playa… please. What do you want from me?"

Playa looked like he was thinking it over seriously for a while. Then he said "Not much. Nothing for now, really. We can deal with building the restaurant extension when I get back. I might not have much time for that though, the political situation is kinda… dangerous."

"… That's it? That's all you want?" Micah gestured towards the ungodly expensive trinkets on the counter. "You're giving me all these things just because you're afraid I'll get hurt? You come in here, and you send all these guards to bother me, just so you don't lose your manager?! That's all you really want?"

"Um. Yes?"

Aer must never know. If she learned about this, steam would come out of her ears in frustration or she would become unspeakably smug and unbearable.

Unlike Maldon, Playa was not attentive to her needs at all. He would flirt with Aer in return, and then try to hide from her friend when that obviously backfires because he didn't have the nerve to go as far as a perverted young woman in her teasing. He would go off to adventures and then come back and have more silly ideas to unpack. Then he'd give her stupidly overpriced gifts and souvenirs as if that made up for the headaches he caused.

He was infringing too much on her rights as the innkeeper and owner of this here inn! Just because he paid three months in advance gave him no rights to knock down any walls and rework her plumbing!

Playa bought a newer boiler for the baths. Because he was *not* allowed to knock down any walls, piping had to go through a window out to the back yard which they had to plaster over.

Playa bought new fixtures and decorations. Where he found those long plate glass mirrors she didn't know.

Playa was using her kitchen for his food delivery service instead of renting his own place.

Weird people would just kick open the door and come in, making demands.

Her father was bringing in new chess players all the time, and with all that betting her inn was becoming a house of sin. And still they expected her to keep track of rankings and set up betting odds. She could do it, but she was never happy about it.

Like { _"… wow you're a much better bookie than you are an innkeeper"_ } shut up Playa.

Micah actually had to close her inn for any room renters. Granted, she was making enough money to equal fully-booked rooms anyway. There was too much to do every day.

That was part of why she refused to hire out any more workers except for working in the kitchen during the day. She couldn't trust anyone else to keep the secrets of those who lived inside the Silver Moon Inn.

She was putting up entirely too much of his shite. _For what?_

"All right. Fair talk. Mister Playa, are you trying to woo me?"

Playa tilted his head to the side. "Um. No?"

Micah snorted and crossed her arms. "You should really be more careful what you say and what gifts you give to girls." She blinked several times quickly. "That's... annoying."

"Ehehe. Right. Fair enough. Then his demeanor turned serious again. "But I'm not budging on this. Take care of yourself, Micah."

The innkeeper sighed. "All right. I'll thank you for this. Would you like to... stay here for the night... or are you going to annoy the neighbors again when you go back to the capital?"

"Just let me dig a hole already, Micah!"

"Noooo."

-.

-.

So Micah finally persuaded Playa to leave through the front door like a normal person.

"Wait up!" she said, stopping him by grabbing his sleeves. She looked him over up and down, and then adjusted his collar. She smoothed out the creases on her cape and stepped back, judging if he looked presentable.

"Is there anything you need? Anything you want me to bring?"

"Nah, I'm fine. But lower yourself a little," she beckoned, as if wanting to whisper to Playa's ears. Playa bent down and Micah grabbed at his lapels.

Then she gave big a wet smooch onto his left cheek. Mwah! Then she pushed off.

Playa staggered back, and touched a finger to the left side of his face. The kiss seemed to burn against his skin. "W-what was that for?"

She stepped back, waved and grinned. "Have a safe trip!"

"Umm. I'm not your father, you know? Be careful what you're implying to a man when you do things like that."

Micah's wide, tomboyish grin only broadened. "Heh. Just go away already and have fun out there. Don't worry about anything here, I've managed so far before on my own, and I'll be fine dealing with things while you're away with your girls."

Playa grimaced. He nodded and all but physically flung himself out the door.

-.

-.

 _/"She'll be fine, Player. Relaaax."/_

"Noooo Monika please stop raising flags."

 _/"I see why you're a man obsessed with freedom. You get SUPER ATTACHED so quickly,"/_ Monika mused. _/"I suppose it makes sense, you kept me around long after my memes faded into the dank of the Internet."/_

Playa grimaced. "It's not enough. It's never enough. We need stronger magic to protect the people we care about."

[Whoever holds this Smartphone, if they be worthy, shall possess the Power of NOKIA 3310!] (2)

-.

-.

Halfway just before activating the [Boom Tube], Playa paused and belatedly came to the realization "Shite, my asking to dig a hole at all was an innuendo. She offered me to stay overnight!"

 _/"... Micah **truly** deserves a much more sensible man than you, Player."/_

"Monika, I thought you were a relationship advisor. Why didn't you speak up about this much earlier? I feel like such an asshole now."

Monika shrugged. Linze and Elze and the pressures of a war on the horizon. Was it the time to be distracted by more homely concerns?

 _/"Relationships are a two-way street, Player. One can't just deserve it by wanting. One of either side must at least have the courage to risk their heart. There's so many double standards in society, but as women sometimes we can't just rely on being pursued. We all need open communication because..."/_

-.

-.

Maldon came back to an empty inn. That was normal. He figured that Micah was already in her room readying to sleep.

-.

-.

Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.

Aer opened the door. She found her friend standing there with puffy eyes.

"Men... are dumb," said Micah.

"And you are enlightened," said Aer, as she pulled her friend inside her shop and into a hug.

-.

-.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) youtube /watch?v=uXhtt2SdwVU

(2) youtube /watch?v=_D2Kqs5tEOI


	51. End of Book One

**End of Book One**

* * *

-.

WHAM.

"Sis! What did you do that for?"

Elze stared down at her right hand. "I-I don't know. I know he can block my punches if he cared to. It was supposed to be just a welcome punch to the shoulder but it's like his face was just attracted to my fist!" She looked helplessly at her sister. "Seriously, it's like he just rammed himself into it!"

Ahahaha. Ow my nose. "Yeah I suppose I deserved that."

 _/"That was certainly an unexpected outcome. Aer is *a lot* more formidable than we believed,"/_ Monika mused privately. _/"The world of consenting adults sure is… *fascinating*."/_

"We are not dealing with this right now Monika. I'm punting all of this to later when there's not so many critical geopolitical issues that need addressing. That's future me's problem now."

 _/"Dohohoho~!"/_

"What are you talking about now?" Elze huffed. She grasped at my cheeks and pulled my face down to her eye level. "Holy moley, Playa. You look like crap!"

"Good morning to you too, Elze."

She rubbed gently around the nose she'd just punched a few seconds ago and felt the chalky texture of my skin. "You didn't sleep at all last night didn't you? You idiot."

She began to wiggle her palms over my cheeks like a massager. Nyunyunyunyuhhnnn. "You should take more care of yourself first before you think you can start worrying about other people."

"I… it's not good to go without sleep. I understand, I was so worried about this big Royal mission of ours that I almost couldn't sleep!" Linze added.

I stared motionlessly at Elze. My heart ached, my head hurt, and it wasn't just from brain fatigue. Even though my eyes couldn't be seen through the opaque lenses, she seemed to have picked up on my scrutiny. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just that sometimes I'm reminded suddenly that you're a woman after all."

Elze squeaked. "I-… I'mma hit you again!"

"Mister Zah, it's really difficult to tell if that's praise or an insult…"

 _/"Dohohohohoh~!"/_

Yeah I get it. Too many waifu will ruin your laifu. (1)

-.

-.

"War is nothing but suffering for the weak. But it is also an opportunity for many beings! This is why war is so attractive even to those who could lose it all!" the King said. "My friends, I call on you to stand against this delusion! Please convey to the King of Mismede that we have no interest in any pointless conflict, we must stand together against those who still seek to advance themselves on the blood and pain of the innocents."

"We will not disappoint you, Your Majesty!" Olga and the Royal Knights accompanying the delegation thumped their chests and bowed.

A handsome golden-haired young knight lowered his head. On the opposite side was a large, well-muscled wolfman. The former was Lyon Blitz, the son of the gregarious "Bronze Fist" General Blitz. The latter was Captain Garm, chief of Mismede's protection detail for their ambassador.

I was standing some distance away, watching them while leaning on a wall. For all my power and the King's regard for me, technically I had no political standing and was just another adventurer hired to guard the delegation.

The King had offered to give me the title of a Count, but doing so means exposing me to the rest of the nobility and the scrutiny of foreign agents. Maybe when we returned and I could lay claim to the abandoned lands of the Old Capital. Remaining a commoner would allow a modicum of legal freedom for a mercenary troop to go around being hired by other countries. Or at least a **Doctors Without Borders** sort of thing.

"Shaaaahh..."

Suddenly my danger sense *screamed*.

A shadow lunged at me and pinned me to the wall.

"Zaaaaah…." Charlote breathed out huskily.

My heart hammered in my chest. Holy crap that jumpscare!

"Mister Zaaah Plaaaya. Must you really leave? Now that you can create magic tools, that opens up so many avenues of research!"

Charlotte was a grown woman. She was slightly taller than me even. She could kabedon really really well, trapping me between her arms and the wall.

"Uhh. Yes. Sorry, but this is absolutely necessary." I began nodding frantically. "Sometimes the best offense is an impregnable defense. So unless you can do something to truly secure the borders or wipe out the Regulus Army in one swoop, it's better to get these war preparations done as soon as possible so we can go back to the important things."

Charlotte bent down a little lower so that her face was in shadow. I could almost imagine her green eyes glowing with some inner light.

And then she pushed back off the wall and smiled. She beamed happily and began rolling up her sleeves. Her fingers fluttered ominously. "All right then! It's a deal, Sir Chara. Please hurry back~."

Uhh. You know what, I'm not going to complain about this. If you've got some magic that can help, that would be great.

-.

-.

 _/"Okay, everyone! Gather around! Have you all finalized your preparations for the trip?"/_

All the girls carried backpacks. I had a backpack. They surrounded me and stared intently at my shoulder. Even Yumina. They were quivering in place in barely-suppressed glee. Were they excited to finally get a serious mission with real political impact?

No. Of course not.

 _/"Why… why are you all looking at me like that?"/_

I spoke from the side of my mouth. "That's because you're so smol."

 _/"That… shouldn't make a difference, they know it's not my real body anyway. It's not like I haven't been this size before as a hologram before." /_ Now because there was a solid surface that Monika could project micro [Boom Tube] as pixel elements onto, her external form was now true color instead of semi-transparent. _/"An interface is an interf-"/_

"Waaaah. How cute! If only Miss Monika's voice was a little squeakier that would be perfect~!"

"Watching Lady Monika just move around, it's like all my stress and fears just melt away…." Yumina mumbled. "Could this be some secret power?"

"Monika-sama is so kawaii I could just dieeee…!" Yae hid her face in her hands.

Elze held her hand out and her fingers twitched, as if trying to attract the attention of a kitten.

Monika hopped in place. _/"T-that's because too much magnetic slime is hard to control and heavy!"/_ We were all still a long way away from a fullscale replica body, but it was was like the first attempts at GUI in a world where everything still ran on DOS command line. Baby steps.

She cupped her own face with both palms in horrified realization. _/"Oh no, must I choose between dignity and being able to touch things?"/_

While it was reasonable to believe that trying to capture a spirit was pointless, even if we no longer cared to hide Monika's existence her walking around following us like a ghost was inviting eyes. Trying to capture a fairy was just as pointless since it was just a remote body anyway.

Monika gave her figurine spooky glowy eyes. She was basically seeing things through micro [Boom Tubes] in front of the camera anyway. She crossed her arms and jutted her chin out arrogantly. She had on a smug 'doya' face.(2)

Do not underestimate her tiny magic magnetic slime figure! Its finger-sized body can fire surgically-precise eye lasers!

"Oooh!" Elze and Linze beamed. "Now you look even more like a fairy!"

Monika dropped to her knees in a depressed ORZ position on my shoulder.

Ahahaha. I reached out with a finger and stroked at the top of her head. She angrily began to thwack it away with both tiny fists oh my god that was adorable.

 _/"Linze! Carry me!"/_ Monika abruptly jumped off my shoulder.

"Wah!" Linze scrambled forward with her hands out, catching Monika in her palms. She stumbled to her knees, but didn't mind it. With utter care and devotion she got back up to her feet and raised Monika up like she was a docile little bird.

 _/"Protect me from him!"/_ Monika commanded and pointed at me. _/"Protect my purity from this deplorable man!"/_

"Understood!" Linze glared at me with no hesitation. Wow. She chose her side super fast.

Monika your image handling is just amazeballs. I could forgive the Sith thing, but this… this was just insidious. Cuteness allows you to get away with anything!

Also aren't you like, a month too late to be talking about anything like 'purity'?

 _/"Let's go!"/_

"Yeeaaah!" Elze pumped her fist into the air and turned around.

Um. It's like even Elze and Linze forgot that she's not actually there, you know? They're the only ones that knew Monika is always with me. Although multitasking means Monika could certainly be doing up to three things or hold three conversations at the same time.

Ahahaha. Why are you all running so playfully away from me?

Blahahaharrgh I have no energy to chase you I still haven't slept. If I try I would just faceplant right here.

-.

-.

I watched the girls walk ahead of me, the wind tugging at their hair and their skirts. The beams of sunlight leaking through the clouds cast them in a golden halo. Nobility that understands responsibility. A common heart that beats with untiring will. A soul honed to perfection like a sword.

Just watching them put my soul at peace.

Elze turned back to look at me and stuck her tongue out playfully. She grabbed her sister and ran ahead a little bit.

"Sis!" Linze complained. She looked back at me too, and waved apologetically.

Yae walked calmly and steadily, because it was meaningless to try and get the best seats on the carriage because they were identical anyway. The front carriage would be carrying troops from Belfast, the middle would contain our party, the next one for Olga and her sister and her personal guards, and the last troops from Mismede. They would be protected by three knights on horseback up front and three more at the back. In practice however, we would basically have the third carriage for those who would like to chat and amuse themselves during the day while the second carriage would be for anyone who would like to lie down and nap. Cargo would be stowed on the roof.

This was Yumina's first time making a long journey in less than plush royal accommodations. Yumina was carefully matching Yae's pace and straight posture. Yumina had a lot to learn from everyone, and the poise of a princess was different from the easy yet agile posture of a trained fighter.

She glanced back at me, as if looking for approval. I nodded back, and she looked relieved.

I really wondered what that girl was thinking. She should really just relax and let things happen as they happen without planning sometimes.

 _/"Teehee. A maiden's heart is a problem no amount of overpowered magic can solve. Nor is it something you can fix with money. A woman has her pride too, you know?"/_

Of course. Of course. They were nothing like my mother or the floozies that my father brought home. They were all such genuine, deep-feeling people. They were… not like me at all.

Economic strength might be necessary to live a good married life, but what a woman needs most is love. What a child needs more than being spoiled and pampered is love and attention.

The lavish hell that was my family's home… the stigma of my name… none of those things mattered here. I could only be chained by those memories if I allowed them to drag me down to the old version of myself. The one that played... with people's bodies. With people's lives.

I had my own sins, but the dead can no longer be helped. I had my own power now, and a reason to keep living.

"Heh. Such enterprising young women…" I adjusted my collar and grinned. "In a world where danger and injustice looms. How can people still smile so freely when all their happiness could end so suddenly under the hand of sudden, unrepentant evil?"

 _/"Because this is the kind of a world where heroes can exist."/_

"A world that needs people who are no longer bound by the fear of death."

 _/"A world where monsters can learn to be a real human being again."_

I grinned fiercely and covered my face with my right hand. "A world where a human being might learn to become a bigger monster."

 _/"What… a wonderful world."/_

-.

-.

Click. Click. Click.

Images flashed in front of my eyes.

The girls grinning in the Silver Moon Inn, all wearing their purple cloaks while Micah stared disinteredly from the counter. A view of Reflet from the air. Yumina feeding her summoned Silver Wolves fresh bloody red meat. Elze bullying… (ahem) training the men running laps around the town walls. Linze healing injuries. A shot of Yae cutting a flying leaf with a sword slash, her blade shining a silver trail under the sun.

Zanac at work, making cloth patterns for others to cut and sew. Dolan, Micah's father and Barral, of the Three Bears Weapon Shop, staring intently over a chessboard. The Adventurer's Guild, and the Chickenjoy booth on the opposite street with Aer and her friend who was operating the boot looking over the daily receipts.

Sue happily grinning in her mother's arms. Duchess Ellen with her eyes open. The Duke Alfred standing behind his family, smiling without restraint. It was a family portrait.

The King Tristwin with his fist raised, shouting "ROUSE!"

Zorah moodily stomping away, her crew chasing after her.

Charlotte with her face far too close to the camera.

Charlotte with her face still too close to the camera, but with the ceiling behind her, as if she had tackled the photographer asking "What is that? What are you doing?"

Monika superimposing herself on real scenes using false perspective to appear like she's interacting with the scenery. Then her ghostlike hologram avatar now able to actually BE in scenes even if her ability to interact with things was limited.

And then a selfie picture containing everyone – Me, Monika, Elze, Linze, Yae, and Yumina – on the road on the way to Alephis. Or rather on the road to the outskirts of town where we could [Boom Tube] away without disturbing people.

Happiness.

-.

-.

More pictures. Metal Gear REX. The chemical formula for dioxygen diflouride. A rocket lifting into space. The complete schematics and videos of how to build a combustion engine with nothing more than blacksmith tools. Scenes of war and carnage and eight thousand years of men without magic just doing their best to kill each other with nothing more than their hands and their ingenuity.

-.

-.

"Hey Monika…"

 _/"Yes, Player?"/_

"I wrote you a poem."

 _/"How wonderful! Then I'd love to hear it."/ (3)_

.-.

.-.

.- **In This Other World with My Smartphone** -.

.-.

.-.

.- I've gone and lost myself

.- Fallen deep into the demise of dreams

.- I've long hated the world that rejected me

.- I've long hated the world that had me breathe

.- I've long hated the evil that made me

.- Hate leads to suffering.

.-

.- In my memes, I defy how things should be

.- In my dreams, there's a world that makes sense to me

.- In my heart, I could never trust just anyone

.- In my fears, that I'll never be worthy of being loved.

.-

.- I've fallen

.- Fallen so far

.- I've fallen so hard

.- I didn't understand.

.-

.- And then I crashed through the unknown

.- In this other world with my smartphone

.- And kept falling, falling,

.- I've fallen for you.

.-

.- I've found a girl,

.- Whom I could really trust,

.- And her voice

.- Drives away all my doubts

.- She'll accept me for who I am,

.- So that I don't get lost…

.- In the better person I want to be.

.-

.- And with her,

.- We'll build our lives anew.

.-

.- And here I've found

.- Beautiful hearts,

.- Good and true,

.- That I'd never have dared to imagine.

.-

.- In this world, we've found new faces

.- New friends, oh happier days

.- Oh lovely lovely days,

.- That she's always plotting to make grander

.- Let us always remember…

.-

.- The people we've hurt that we left behind.

.-

.- In this world with my smartphone

.- In this reality that I can barely believe

.- In this land with my love

.- Never letting it go again.

.-

.- With these eyes almost blind

.- I'm awake again

.- As long as I see you

.- With these hands no longer without purpose

.- As long as I can hold you

.- This power will break through anything.

.-

.- As long as I'm with you -

.- I'm gonna live.

.-

-.

-.

"…"

 _/"This is more of a song, Player, not a poem."/_

Like her song "Your Reality", playing as the end credits of Doki Doki Literature Club even as she one by one deleted all meaningful memories with the player and crashed her whole world rather than expose her friends any more to the abhorrent truth of their existence. (4)

"As long as I have you… I'm gonna live~"

Monika closed her eyes and bit her lower lip.

 _/"I will never, never let you go."/_

"Because I love you."

 _/"Because I love you."/_

-.

-.

And so we set off to Mismede, that strange and mysterious land of the beastkin.

-.

-.

* * *

AN:

(1) Chapter 22 ["The Court Magician"] of this story.

(2) (•́⌄•́๑)૭✧

(3) youtube /watch?v=zVSb7nujuIk&

(4) youtube /watch?v=aVBYwiB-HGw

Hmm. What if I stop writing this right here and post another story in the meantime? :p


	52. The Travelers

**The Travelers**

* * *

-.

-.

While Alephis was situated more or less directly north of Reflet, the mouth of the Great River Gao was directly to the east of that little town, somewhat like the hypotenuse of a right angle triangle. We wouldn't be passing by Reflet again on the way there.

It wasn't like we could use [Boom Tube] to get there anyway. Going from Reflet to somewhere near the the Old Capital of Belfast was possible due to being able to triangulate off Alephis, the New Capital. Anything beyond that would drop us somewhere in the middle of a forest or something, which was obviously sub-optimal for plonking down horse-drawn carriages.

Accurate mapmaking was not yet a technology known to this world, and even Monika's weird magic GPS lacked any real accuracy beyond our personal sensing range.

Ten days on the road was unavoidable. However that didn't mean we couldn't make that journey somewhat less painful.

There were two carriages. The first one contained Yumina, Olga Strand, and Lyon Blitz. The second one had us – Elze, Linze, Yae, and Arma – set up more as a leisure car. Arma and Yae were playing cards down on the floor.

I had commissioned a custom set of Hanafuda cards, but as it turned out that Yae, despite coming from a very Japanese-like culture, didn't recognize them. Then I remembered that playing cards were introduced by the Portuguese to Japan in 1549, leading to an outbreak of card games and gambling and Japan banned foreign playing cards in 1633. Hanafuda evolved from that insular churn of image-based decks as one of those that could be played by the populace with limited use for gambling. Since this time period was roughly analogous to the 1600s to early 1700s without guns, they just didn't have those card games yet.

Arma was fascinated by the brilliantly-colored cards, but the rules were somewhat complicated, so instead of the formal rules she was given to play a much simpler card-matching game.

The objective was to collect all four cards of a Hanafuda suite. (1) First the dealer places sixteen cards face-down. Then four cards are given to each player.

A player then flips up a card, and takes it. They then put down a card in the empty spot and flip up another card. If that other card is from the same suite as the previous card or the one they put down, they can take the matching cards. If the four cards of a suite are matched, they are put aside. If it isn't, then all cards are set face-down again. Then the turn passes to the other player.

If someone's hand or the center area is empty of cards, the dealer will lay down more cards from the remainder.

Yae and Arma were sitting on the carriage floor playing the card game. Yae picked up a card, showing star-shaped maple leaves in red, yellow and gray on a white background as if floating on water, and then flipped up another card. Cherry blossoms. Similar color scheme, similar shape, but different suites. She stared blankly at the non-matching card and sighed.

On a normal carriage, it would have been visible how the cards would shift around as the carriage trundled on bumpy unpaved road. But here, the cards barely even twitched.

"Okay. Playa, I've put up with a lot of your shite. But these… "air suspension" magic tool thingies that you can make are pretty dang good!" Elze bounced in her seat.

The seat cushions were just regular cotton padding. But beneath the carriage, small focused air jets pushed against the ground to keep the carriage level actually half an inch over the ground. Ground traction was maintained because the wheels were wrapped in heavy canvas, a precursor to rubberized tires.

She pointed at me. "These are much more respectable things to get famous for, make your name with these instead!"

I crossed my arms and retorted "I refuse!"

While it would nice to be a manufacturing magnate, magic air suspension had several disadvantages over actual gas-bag air suspension. I couldn't mass-produce them, they kicked up lots of dust, and was somewhat noisy. Becoming this other world's Samsung would take a little more time than being this other world's Jollibee Foods Corporation.

"Though I accept the thanks on behalf of your bubble butt."

"Who are you calling a bubble butt!"

Arma looked up from the game on the carriage floor. "What's a bubble butt?"

Elze eeped in surprise, her eyes widening in dismay. She slapped her palms over my mouth. "W-watch your words! There are children present!"

"A bubble butt is a butt so phat, it's round like a soap bubble and just as bouncy."

"Ooh. Fat!" the little fox girl nodded sagely. She squinted suspiciously towards Elze.

"YOU STUPIDHEAAAD!" Elze immediately jammed her thumbs her into my mouth and pinched my cheeks. "STOP CORRUPTING THE INNOCEENT!"

"Nygahahaha…"

 _/"It's quite the obvious lie, anyway,"/_ said Monika. _/"Elze's glutes are nice and firm because she exercises. If anyone here has a bubble butt, it would be…"/_

Linze, who lounging sitting on the opposite carriage seat by the corner, reading a book of Shakepeare's plays that we printed out, looked up. She blushed and tried to hide her face behind the book.

Monika then pointed at me. _/"This lazy ass over here!"/_

"That is fair," I nodded.

"Are butts really that interesting, Mister Clown?" Arma asked again. She put down a card and picked up a card. "Ha! Got it!"

"Well done, Arma-chan!" Yae said excitedly. A swordswoman should not have such horrible short-term memory for patterns. Her own struggle was to allow the little girl to win and be happy without making it obvious that she was throwing the game.

I shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe? You know how they say… heroes are bad ass. They kick ass. Some people are just assho-"

"Get out." Elze pointed to a blank wall of the carriage and the pinprick of light there.

 _/"… Yes, you're kinda being too annoying right now, Player. Are you bored? Maybe you need some higher level amusements."/_

"All right. All right. I'll bum around somewhere else then."

The small pinprick of light expanded out into a [Boom Tube] tunnel linking the two carriages together. On the other side, Olga and Lyon looked up away from the chessboard.

"Playas get out!" Elze hissed through clenched teeth as she hauled me up by my collar and pushed me into the hole. "Reeeeeeh…!"

"Bye bye, Mister Clown!"

-.

-.

Unlike Carriage #2, the lead carriage had its curtains drawn and was lit only by a magic crystal light. It had a much more somber, grownup atmosphere.

I got up, coughed into my fist and stared at this hopeless bunch of normies. "Sorry for ruining your game. So, who was winning?"

The two stared down at the pieces scattered by my ramming headfirst onto the board, then looking up they chanced to meet each other's eyes. They both quickly looked away, blushing faintly.

"S-sir Lyon had the advantage. It's no matter, I was losing anyway."

"No, that's not true! We were already tied, one-one, and Miss Strand won the game before. It could still have gone either way…"

Ooh? That was an interesting reaction. I glanced towards Yumina, and raised my eyebrow. Her response was a smug little smile.

I see. This carriage was a shipping container.

I eased onto the seat besides Yumina and said to him "Mmm. Do you know why you are tasked with Miss Olgra Strand's safety over literally anything else? In this delegation, none but you among all the other guards even known that Yumina is the Crown Princess. Protecting her is more important than even your basic duty to the crown."

Lyon's gaze flicked to the side, and Olga was pointedly avoiding looking at him and hiding her own blush.

"I… I surely do not know, sir!"

Yumina ventured "Um, does it have anything to do with how I'm already more than adequately protected? I don't meant to disparage the Royal Knights, but… they're not quite Red Rank Adventurers."

"Yumina, do you know why we're taking this long route to Mismede? We could [Boom Tube] there in a couple of days instead of ten days, if I were allowed to range ahead – but instead we're taking this slow obvious route with only a minimal level of escort. We're spending so much time when Regulus could attack at any time."

The princess put a hand to her chin. "I'm… not sure. It feels a bit heartless to say… we're being offered as bait?" Yet she didn't seem to mind if even her own father was willing to risk her life that way, because that was part of the responsibilities of a ruler. Frankly, after being pampered all her life, sharing some of the danger was the least she felt she could do for the people that fought for her sake.

"Something like that. But more basic. Yumina, may I see the transcriptions of their game?"

Yumina handed over the sheets of paper. Lyon Blitz nodded fervently.

"May I just say it's very interesting how an entire game of chess could be recorded and replayed with such simple notation! I haven't heard of any other game that allows this, truly chess it is worth being called the King's Game!"

I hmm'ed again. "Lyon, what is the objective in chess?"

"The objective in chess is to… to capture the enemy's king!"

Olga looked up sharply, suddenly alarmed for reasons.

I nodded. "Yes. Not to capture pieces. Not to defend your own King from capture. It doesn't matter if the board is clear or not, checkmate is to prevent your opponent from making any movement that could allow their King to escape capture. So why is this important? Why can't the other pieces just keep fighting on their own?"

I could see the honest young knight hold himself back from saying the obvious 'Because… those are the rules… of the game…?' and tried to think of a more acceptable reason.

"Because… if the King is captured, then no one can tie together all the different forces to fight," said Olga. "Nobles and tribes would surrender or betray the rest for their own advantage if they have no reason to remain united."

I beamed. "Exactly. That's the sort of realism that only someone who lives with having to make sure different tribes act as one can comprehend.

"Despite what people may think, chess doesn't actually teach you anything about tactics or strategy. All it does is expose your habits, your personality. Do you seek to exchange pieces swiftly to clear the board and leave the endgame to maneuver? Do you seek to cramp the board and protect as many pieces as possible? Do you favor the straightforward opening or do you prefer attacking from the side? Chess is no substitute for war."

"Then… what is the point, Sir Zah? Do you have a more realistic way to simulate war?"

WARHAMMER TOTAL WAR YES I WANT TO PLAY TABLETOP WITH SOMEONE. I coughed and looked away. "These ten days were given to us so that we can better prepare to have these two very different kingdoms act as one. Lyon, your father has sent you out to learn about strategy instead of just battle tactics. Miss Strand, so that you can understand that Mismede has leverage over Belfast in this alliance.

"But what both kingdoms lack is a means to prevent betrayal. A carrot and a stick, one might say."

Yumina's eyes glittered. "So do you have a means to ensure both sides don't betray each other? I am sure there are still hard feelings from certain elements on both sides."

Yumina was keenly familiar with how a political marriage had long been the way to permanently fix an alliance. The King of Mismede lacked children of marriageable age however – his eldest was a princess of ten years, and the first prince was just nine years old and the second prince was just six. Mismede would never allow Belfast a reason to press an inheritance claim to the crown of Mismede, so since Sue was a member of the Royal Family she was not a contender there either.

While Lyon Blitz was the son of General Leon Blitz, commander of the Royal Army… Olga Strand was the daughter of Olba Strand, just a particularly successful merchant from Mismede. Neither of them had any serious influence.

I grinned. "Yumina, you are the carrot. I am the stick. And we have these ten days to think up a way to fix geopolitics using only soldiers without borders."

-.

-.

I growled with a faintly Scottish brogue "Ogres are like onions."

I pitched my voice up like a brother from the hood "They stink?"

"Yes. No!"

"They make you cry?"

"No. Yes… but no!"

"Oh so you leave them out in the sum and they get all brown and start sprouting little white hairs-"

I groaned and slapped my face, and then shoved an empty hand out. "No. Layers. Onions have layers. *Ogres* have layers. You get it? We both have *layers*."

"Oooh. You both have layers." Then added somewhat sadly "Oh. You know, not everybody likes onions."

I made some sort of frustrated blubbering snorting noise.

"CAKE! How about cake! Everybody loves cake! Cake have layers!" (2)

It was night and we were camped out beside the road. With Earth magic we raised some stone slabs to use as benches and later so people could sleep more comfortably off the ground. The girls could sleep inside the carriage. Around the fires as we ate dinner, over several nights we shared stories.

Arma clapped happily as the retelling of the story of SHREK came to a close. Yumina smiled as well. The tale of Shrek and Fiona was about socially inappropriate love and marriage, and despite it being about a princess like she was… she looked shiftily towards Lyon and Olga. The two were seated far apart and were pointedly avoiding looking at each other.

"An interesting tale, milord," Lyon said as we relaxed to the night watch. "Lord Faarquad needing to marry a Princess to become a King on his own right… it sounds uncomfortably close to what Her Highness had to suffer." He looked vaguely uncomfortable with the ending. "But Princess Fiona, to turn into an ogre at the end…"

"Don't read too much into it. It's just a story. A princess choosing to become a commoner is just as feasible as any commoner becoming a princess or a queen by marriage. In the end people are just people, no matter our station we all bleed and hunger for love and understanding the same way." I shrugged. Besides, if I were to take the role of Shrek, who would be Donkey?

Probably Elze. Yes definitely Elze.

"I see. Thank you for those wise words, milord."

-.

("Why do I feel the sudden urge to PUNCH SOMEONE IN THE FACE?" Elze muttered from inside the carriage as they were setting up to sleep.

("Sis, you feel that urge ALL THE TIME," Linze said softly as she slid into the blanket.)

-.

"Sir Zah… I would just like to ask… I mean no offense, but… how do you do it?"

"Mm?" Do what?

"How do you… make people laugh?" Lyon asked. "I mean, how do I become as confident as you, that you can look so silly and no one minds it as long as people are happy? Would it help to take lessons from thespians and bards?"

I blinked. "Dude. Are you… are you actually afraid that you're boring?"

Lyon Blitz, tall nice rich handsome blond noble knight guy blushed and fidgeted in his seat. His father was boisterous and unrestrained, so it was somewhat strange that his son would be so proper and dignified. He was afraid of looking silly while at the same time wishing he could be so free with his emotions to be able to act on them. He was like perfect husbando material and yet had the gall to still feel inadequate about wooing a woman.

Riajuu go burn.

I looked around and saw how the Belfast and Mismede guards were not mingling. Whereas the Belfast Knight Order guards were wearing half-plate, the Misemede guards were wearing more mobile padded jacks and some ring mail. Through some unspoken agreement they each defended half of the camp.

One of the beastkin guards suddenly flicked his long rabbit ears up and made a bird-like whistling sound. Instantly all the other Mismede guards went on alert, but didn't sit up to make it obvious that they had detected something.

Lyon noticed it instantly, he was about to stand up and then sat back down. "What does that mean? An ambush? We should-"

"Ooh? How interesting." I opened my palm out, and a holographic minimap floated on top of my hand. At least twenty red dots surrounded our camp. "Night battle, eh? Someone's being… competent."

I grinned and closed my hand into a fist.

Arrows shot out from the darkness and punched through the wood of the carriages.

-.

-.

Now, the obvious question arises – {"Wait, doesn't Monika have some sort of threat radar that's kilometers in radius? Why didn't she detect this ahead of time?"}

The answer is: Of course she did.

However, unless these people attack, it's not like we can fault them for anything. Ambushing the ambushers would make us the murderers. They could simply be some random group of people walking at night. Heavily armed random people.

… Look, it's these small technical details that separated a real Adventurer from any random murderhobo, all right?

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

The arrows perforated the wooden hull of the carriages, but went no further. Because the nice thing about the [Boom Tube] is that, though we lacked a convenient [Inventory] system, it could be linked to a predesignated warehouse. At night, when the horses did not need to bear the weight, steel plates could be brought in to reinforce the walls of the carriage to sleep in safety.

Technically, [Boom Tube] meant that there was no reason to sleep in the carriages at all, we could all be much comfortably sleeping inside an Inn during the night – but that felt immensely unfair to the guards who would have to sleep outside and stand watch over empty wooden boxes. Removing even that slight inconvenience of travel felt like the sort of pampered self-importance of useless nobles.

I reached up and plucked an arrow caught by the [Air Shield] out of the air. I got up and shouted "Aim to subdue but kill if you have to!"

Garm, the wolf beastkin leader, made a set of whistling sounds and gestured left. The Mismede guards leaped to action into the forest.

And Lyon yelled "Men! Take them down! For the Crown and for Belfaast!" The much more well-armored Belfast guards went to the right.

We were surrounded, but three sides were forest and the fourth was across the road. The arrows came from there. Another volley of arrows came out from the dark, but given that most of the guards had already gone east and west into the woods that just left me and Lyon standing near the campfire. Another [Air Wall] stopped the arrows cold.

I could sense the archers had decided it was time to cut their losses and skedaddle. Being across the road meant that they'd have a head start trying to get away. Light cavalry were useless trying to chase people into the woods unless on foot.

I opened my palm out to display the tactical map again.

Four horse-riding guards each from Belfast and Mismede, plus carriage driver and archer guard per carriage … that's twelve versus twenty. Since the four enemy archers had decided to leave rather than help, that was twelve versus sixteen – close enough odds.

Boom.

The carriages were practically sealed shut with metal, the only way out was via [Boom Tube].

Elze came out running, followed by Linze who cast a long-burning ball of fire acting like a flare to expose the attackers. The Belfast guards yelled "Uooooahh!" brandishing their swords to meet the attackers armed mainly with axes and boiled leather for armor.

To the left, the Mismede guards didn't need illumination as much. Yae joined them, skillfully running at full speed through the forests. Short but intense battles lit only by moonlight and flashing steel commenced.

"Raaargh!" the bandits surged forth, shouting and roaring.

"Come Water! Swift stabbing shards, [Ice Daggers!]"

The Mismede soldiers lowered their heads and raised their arms, blocking most of the incoming ice shards on their bracers and helmets. So that was the reason why everyone went around with half-plate and/or breastplate armor, despite how expensive it may be to equip everyone. There were few who wore middle-of-the-road protection like jack of plates or chain/ring mail, because the prevalence of magic affinities meant one was better off with being able to shrug off hits or avoid them entirely.

Behind the group of attackers was a well-dressed person – an adventurer who knew magic. "Ice, entangle! Freezing Curse – [Icebind!]"

One of the Belfast guards dropped from his legs being frozen over. One of the attackers, a bearded heavily muscled man in furs, chuckled and lunged to chop him down with his axe.

Whapow!

Elze punched the axe. The edge chipped under her fist, and the axe head recoiled to strike its owner right in the face with the blunt end. The bandit toppled backwards, his nose bleeding, and struck the ground completely knocked out.

"Wha-?!" the enemy adventurer boggled as Elze pushed forward, backhanding another bandit. The rest of the Belfast guards struck down the rest. "Stay back!"

Elze punched a tree. Then she picked up the shattered tree trunk and threw it at him.

"I surrender!" the adventurer screamed out as he ducked.

We just finished bashing down sixteen enemies. The bandits had eight more people in reserve, and charged down the middle towards the parked carriages.

"Dark come forth! I desire the proud beast wrapped in silver, [Silver Wolf!]"

"Bawooo!" Yumina's summoned Silver Wolves sprang out of a magic circle, howling and snarling. Five of them, adept forest predators, swung the advantage of fighting in the forests well in our favor. Linze began blasting fire and ice magic from behind them.

Lyon Blitz rallied the rest of the Belfast troops to deal with these remaining bandits.

Yae and the Mismede guards finished dealing with the bandits and adventurers on their side, with the wolves chasing down those that didn't engage.

The archers were getting away. I smiled.

"Lyon!"

"Yes, Sir Zah?" he answered from the other side of the carriages.

"Deal with securing the area. I'm going after the stragglers."

"Understood!"

Whumpf. I sprang up with a [Jet Boost], following the fleeing archers. Through the tree cover, my HUD still showed them as red targets. The archers had decided to split off into pairs in opposite directions. That was fine.

I picked the scrambling pair to the left, and slammed through the leaves, landing with a shocking bang right in front of them them. They were thrown up into the air and slammed against the trees. No time for quips, I punched both of them with a [Stunning Fist] to the head.

The other pair of archers began to run even more frantically at the loud sound behind them. I jumped high again, and rather than crash into their midst, I sprang down to a nearby branch and slapped them both with a [Homo Stasis].

While they both were frozen in time, I approached the two retreating archers. They looked like adventurers, with good boots, no armor except strong weather-resistant clothes, and a jaunty green hat. I took out two small yellow magic stones and inserted them into the brim of their boots.

Then I stepped back out of view and cancelled the [Homo Stasis] spell.

They stumbled for a moment and looked backwards in confusion. Whatever wrong feeling they had was put aside as Silver Wolves howling in the distance spurred them to just get away no matter what.

-.

-.

Olga Strand could only sit in the darkness and hug her sister. With the steel sheets inside the carriage, it was impregnable to everything short of perhaps being set on fire.

There was a click of the carriage door being unlatched from the outside. Olga hugged her sister tighter.

Boom. A heatless white light filled the carriage. Gloves pushed down on the ridge of the steel plates, making it sink through the portal to fall down into a distant warehouse somewhere. "It's all right," said Lyon. "The bandits have been defeated. You should be safe now."

"T-thank you. I'm sorry for causing you any trouble…" Olga whispered, a shaky smile and a blush rising on her face.

"Ah, n-no need for that. This is but… this is all part of my duty, don't mention it, really!" the young knight spoke up, whatever cool he had before shattering into a flustered mess.

The foxy lady giggled softly.

-.

"Are… are they dead?" Arma whispered in a scared tone as she watched us pile the bandits, all twenty-six of them, onto the side of the road.

"No, just knocked out," I replied. "Don't worry. We should be safe for now. Why don't you get some rest?"

Arma looked around carefully. She saw Yae and Elze dragging bandits from the woods, and me just standing there not helping. Her small eyes narrowed. "Are you a lazy clown?" she asked.

 _/"… What, of course he is."/_

"Oh! Miss Fairy!"

 _/"He's right though. You and your sister are the Very Important People that should be protected here. There's not much more than can be done tonight, you should be a good girl and go back to sleep. We're just going to tie up and send away these criminals."/_

"… I guess. Okayss..." the little foxgirl mumbled and kicked her toes at the ground abashedly.

Elze and Linze accompanied the Strand siblings back to the second carriage. Meanwhile Lyon, Yumina, Garm the Misemede Guard Captain, and I went into the other carriage.

Once inside, I opened up the tacmap again and showed the region around us, lighting up the insides of the carriage with a sharp blue glow.

I enunciated very carefully "Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design."

 _/"Now hang on there, Sheev (3),/"_ Monika waved a palm at me. _/"Before you get all too impressed by yourself, explain why letting people get away is a good thing."_

"This is only possible due to your [Enscribe] Null magic. Behold, the [Spygem]!" A ghostly hologram showed the fleeing enemy archers. Using a passive version of [Air Sense], we could not only show exactly what they were doing, but what they were saying.

-.

-.

"What… what was that?!" one of the archers gasped. "That was worse than what we were told! Damn useless bandits! Now the rest of the guys… the Poison Snakes are done for!"

"Tch. We should've known that much money was too good to be true. But a job's a job."

"T-think we should still let Leader know? We could just go run away and hide by ourselves…"

"Poison Snake and Steel Fangs are one. If Leader doesn't hear from us, his bro's going to send the Steel Fangs to hunt us down and make our death slow since it's gonna look like we're traitors who sold 'em out. The only way we can get the guys back is if the Steel Fangs fight 'em next time."

"Ugh. Workin' with bandits. This is gonna get us black-listed by the Guild. Maybe we should go give ourselves up to the Guild instead, we wus only followin' orders. It's one thing to rob merchants on the side, gettin' called bandits means we're gonna get killed when we're caught."

"Right. Right… we had a good thing going being just Blue Rank adventurers. We can always join another party, right? Wait, you all right? You've got somethin' going there with your chin."

"Huh? What? I don't see- ghlurk!"

The other archer, while his buddy was distracted looking down touching his chin to check if he was wound or something, swiftly drew his knife and stabbed the other through the side of the neck.

As his fellow adventurer collapsed, gurgling and bleeding to death, he quipped "Yeah, you got something going on there, like some sort of disloyal mouthole."

The sole surviving archer ran on towards the next town.

-.

-.

"Interesting…" I hummed. So it was a good thing we used two [Spygems]. "If we send a horse rider out, the only way is to do so immediately. If we didn't know about this and spent time tying up the bandits or waiting until morning, the rider we sent would probably be ambushed and killed along the way."

"This… this is some powerful magic," said Captain Garm. His eyes flicked towards Monika's tiny fairy-like form sitting on my shoulder.

"This is why I am the stick."

The beastkin captain stared at me oddly. Lyon coughed into his fist and said "Sir Zah, what is your plan now? Do you still want to wait until he reaches his 'Leader' so we can hear more about why they are attacking or perhaps who sent them?"

"We don't have the ability to carry along with us twenty-eight prisoners. But at the same time, they're even more useful as bait." I looked up from the tacmap. "Adventurers are rarely cavalry, right?"

"Yes, horses are expensive," said Lyon. "If they're going to ambush us again, they will have do so on foot and block the road somehow. Attacking us while we were supposed to be sleeping meant that we could act as cavalry or just have the carriages run away."

"Hmm. Well the solution seems obvious. The runner we send should be capable of defending himself from being stabbed in the back."

 _/"So you're going?"/_ said Monika.

I nodded. "That's the risk that I'm going to have to absorb."

The goal was to keep tempting bad guys to attack us, get them to escape, and lead us step by step to their ringleader. Torturing was such a slow process. Even Truth Magic spells can't give out information that stooges were never given in the first place.

-.

-.

 _/"Wait, Player. Your parents were rich, but they're not *that* rich. Where did you learn to ride horses?"/_

"World Equestrian Games Simulator!"

 _/"..."/_

"More seriously, there were some farms in touristy areas that allowed for some horse riding lessons at much more affordable rates than clique equestrian clubs. Dude ranches never really went out of style. In fact, the more we advance as a technological society, the more interesting it gets to just be paying people to work in their goddamn farm."

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And much to my surprise, I reached the next town of Kaplan safely. I introduced myself to the mayor and the town guard commander and informed them about the situation. We had prisoners, but we couldn't just drive them to town because there's too many of them that if they decided to make a break and run for it in different directions enough would be able to escape.

On the other hand, the town itself didn't really have that many guards to spare and quartering the prisoners would be a hassle since their jail wasn't big enough to contain almost thirty people. I had to assure the mayor that we had no interest in whatever bounty these bandits may have, we had our own urgent business and needed to move on by the day.

It was still the middle of the night and mayor looked irked to be woken up for mere procedural issue. The earliest they could send the town guard out would be in the morning. For all he knew, this was a ruse to weaken village security for actual bandits to pull shenanigans.

Then someone slammed open the door to the guardhouse to offer an unconventional solution.

The leader of the Steel Fangs was a tall, burly adventurer with a neck beard that extended up past his jawline to his ears. It severely flattened the front of his face, but didn't disguise well how he was starting to get a little fat from the years. He beamed happily as he introduced himself to the mayor.

"So, I heard you fine fellows need some prisoner transport security. You're going to send the town guards out for this? Why don't you allow us to help out? No charge! I'm Sacha, leader of the Steel Fangs, and if you need bandit clearing missions after this, just keep us in mind."

Even I was struck a little numb by the sheer chutzpah.

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* * *

AN:

(1) gamedesign jp /flash/hanafuda/rule_e . html

(2) youtube /watch?v=8r7NAS8NlBM

(3) youtube /watch?v=RVl_sjUrNQE


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